The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island
by Confession68
Summary: COMPLETE It starts with a talk. Then when the crew lands on an island, Nami finds out about a contest and decides to enter for the reward money.However, will her love for money and luxury get them into some trouble?Drama,Adventure:LuffyxNami.Please review
1. Chapter 1: Understanding

**Author's Note: **This is my first actual story other than my one shots. This story takes place after Franky joins their crew. Unfortunately OP is at a point of transition in the manga, and things might or might not happen. Since I don't know if Brook actually joins their crew or not, he is not in my story. Not to mention I don't know enough about him to put him in my story. If you haven't guessed this story takes place after Thriller Bark. If Brook does join them, just pretend he is there in the background somewhere, LOL! Also, we don't know yet how the crew interacts with the new ship, since they haven't shown this yet. So a lot of my story is an assumption as to how I assume they would interact with Sunny. I also got my hands on the Oda SBS blueprints of the Thousand Sunny. So I was able to find out important information on the ship layout, and where everyone sleeps. Not to mention rooms they have yet to show in the manga. I hope you all can see past the lack of knowledge and just enjoy my story:D Criticism is welcome, even flames. I could use it. Any good and bad reviews help me in my stories after all! So please review and let me know your thoughts! But be gentle if possible…o.o

**Disclaimer: **I don't own One Piece. I just love it to death!! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

Chapter 1: Understanding

"So…does anyone else ever wonder what our Captain thinks about when he sits up there by himself for so long?" asked Usopp, watching his Captain from his spot on the deck. "Or does he even think at all? Maybe he just enjoys the view." added Nami, not really sure Luffy is even capable of thought.

"I would have to agree with Nami-san. Luffy doesn't seem to think about anything. He always just rushes in, not even bothering to ask questions later." added Sanji from the doorway of the dining/kitchen, as he took a long drag of his cigarette. He was actually quite serious as he watched Luffy. "But who can think with such a beauty as yourself to take away a man's soul just by gazing at him, Nami-swaaan?" he said after a short silence with his usual love-love eyes and prancing in her direction.

Robin put her book down then to regard the subject, "Mmm..." she hummed as she shook her head and placed her chin in her hand, "Captain-san is definitely capable of thought. Did you ever think that maybe our Captain-san acts the way he does because he chooses to?" she asked them with her ever present gentle and understanding smile. "Chooses to?" they all ask simultaneously. Sanji and Nami both burst out laughing at the thought of Luffy 'acting' like he was silly. Robin's smile only widened. Usopp regarded Robin seriously, "I have to agree with Robin, I mean look how he handled Vivi when she thought she had to protect us. He had to have thought of something to say and do to make her understand she didn't have to. It's almost like he can easily read into people." The three stared at Luffy's back while letting what Usopp just said sink in. All three a little amazed Usopp even thought of this.

Nami looked Sanji's way, "He does make a point." Sanji can only nod in response.

"Well, why doesn't one of you go talk to him and find out?" asked a voice coming from slightly above them. They all looked up and to the left, as Zoro was coming down from the crow's nest.**(1)** He had a clean sheen of sweat above his brow caused by having just finished training.

Robin allowed a giggle and smile to escape before she lifted her book back over her face. Sanji mumbled something about needing to prepare lunch before disappearing into the kitchen. Zoro and Nami looked Usopp's way. He was already working on his new invention pretending he never heard Zoro. "Oi!!" Nami yelled in his direction. Zoro just chuckled at Nami's failed attempt at getting Usopp's attention.

"Ugh, I guess I will have to do it myself." she said annoyed, giving in.

She gave a look toward their Captain and finally decided to head over to him. She walked over to him quietly, while watching him as he was sitting atop of Sunny. As she finally reached her destination, she turned back once to regard the others. They were all watching her, even Sanji and Robin. She made a face at them showing her full annoyance at them for having forced her to be the one to talk to him. She turned back around to look up at her Captain. She began to contemplate whether she really wanted to talk to him or not. 'Why did she feel so uneasy talking to him? And why did everyone else not want to talk to him either?'

She scrunched up her nose and finally decided to speak to him. After all she didn't want to come off as a coward. "Ne, Luffy?" she called. No response…Nami was a little surprised he didn't respond to her calling him. 'Is he really this deep in thought, that he doesn't notice me here?' she thought to herself. Then she became a little annoyed, "Luffy!" she said at almost a yell.

All of a sudden Luffy jumped slightly, surprised at being called suddenly, "Nn, aa…"**(2)** he replied looking down at Nami. "What's up, Nami?" he asked with his usual wide grin from ear to ear.

"I...I was just wondering why you're so quiet over here?" she asked with a nervous smile.

"Uh, just thinking." He replied looking back at the horizon while his grin became a little smaller.

"Thinking…about what?" she asked, hoping for a more elaborate response.

Luffy just shrugged looking back down at her with his grin back, "Just stuff."

"Oh…" she said a little disappointed as she looked down at her feet. Luffy turned back around to the ocean view, his grin gone once again. Only a small smile played on his lips. Nami looked back up at her Captain. He was sitting with his legs and arms crossed. His hat hung down his back from a string around his neck, for it was a bit too windy for him to wear. The wind ruffled his loose hair around as it lightly fluttered against his forehead and face. His face had taken on a more serious look as he stared into the horizon.

Nami figured his vague and curt answers were meant as a dismissal, especially since he had said no more. She sighed to herself and began to turn away. She stopped half way as he finally spoke to her, "Did you want to sit up here?" he asked as he turned back and looked back down at her with his grin again. "Uh…un."**(3)** she answered with a nod, as she turned back around. Nami began to attempt climbing up onto Sunny. Suddenly a hand appeared in front of her face. Startled Nami looked up at Luffy, who was leaning over the side arm outstretched as he grinned and let out a small laugh. Nami looked at his hand for only a second before she grabbed it and allowed him to pull her up. As soon as she reached the top she let go of his hand and crawled toward the middle to sit down next to him. Luffy had changed his sitting position so that there was more room for Nami. He had one leg outstretched while the other was pulled to his chest. His right arm rested on the pulled up knee while he used the left to lean back on. Nami sat and pulled both knees to her chest and hugged them with both arms.

They sat in silence for a few seconds, until Nami finally spoke up, "So, what exactly do you think about Luffy?" she pauses for only a moment, "I would really like to know."

There were a few moments more of silence. Nami wasn't sure if he was contemplating answering her or not. She began to regret her question, but then he finally spoke, "I usually just think about what we have been through, and the day I will become Pirate King." Nami can only stare at Luffy, amazed that he even thought about things like the past and future. She always figured he thought about simple things, like, 'What is Sanji going to make for lunch?' Or even about meat. Luffy looked at Nami with his usual grin.

"Do you really think of those things Luffy?" she finally asked. "Aa." he replied with a nod and his grin. Then he turned his gaze back to the horizon. Nami joined his gaze not sure now what to say to him. It would seem Luffy was more complex than she first imagined.

Then she realized she didn't really know much about him, none of them did. "You know, we really don't know much about you Luffy." she said on that note.

"Really?" was his only reply.

She began to get annoyed by his vague and simple answers. Almost like she was having a one sided conversation. So she decided to make him elaborate, "Mind telling me a little about you?"

Luffy sat in silence for a few seconds before finally answering her, "Not really much to tell…I like meat and will be Pirate King one day." He says this with a grin and a bit of a giggle.

Nami's first response was annoyance, as she looked at him narrow-eyed. He was so simple-minded. Then she let her face relax, placed her head on her knees, and then watched him. She was looking for some kind of outward response from him, but he only had a blank stare and minor smile on his face as he stared out onto the horizon. It was almost as if there was no soul behind those big black eyes. "Luffy?" she asked softly head still placed on her knees.

"Hmm?" he replied looking back at her again. She had called his name not even really knowing how to ask him what she wanted to ask him. He only stares back at her with those blank soulless eyes, waiting for her to finish. She can only stare in return, not seeing anything in his gaze.

"Who are you?" she can only ask softly. It seemed the only appropriate thing to ask him. Luffy was taken aback by her odd question with only a small noise from the back of his throat and a look of slight surprise on his scarred face.

He sat and stared at her for a few seconds before he finally said something, "Are you ok? You're not sick again are you?" he asked with one eyebrow raised as he placed his hand to her forehead.

"I'm just fine, Luffy! I was serious!" she yelled at him as she slapped his hand away. She had raised her head from her knee as she did this. She looked back at him with furrowed brows, annoyed with his response. Luffy was still looking back at her with a slightly confused expression on his face, one eyebrow still raised. She almost felt sorry for the boy, who honestly looked confused by her question.

"Nami, what do you mean? We've been together for a long time. How can you not know who I am? I'm Luffy!" he said this to her as if she has some how gone mad, or had lost her memory.

Nami closed her eyes slowly counting to ten trying not to lose her patience with him. She was seriously contemplating pushing him over the side. She finally opened her eyes, "Baka!" she scolded and lightly tapped her knuckle over the top of his head, "I know your name is Luffy! But just because I know your name, it doesn't mean I know you as an individual!"

Somehow his eyebrow rose up higher as he tilted his head to the side with a frown, and rubbed the place on his head that she had hit. They stared at each other for a few more seconds. Her eyebrows had furrowed in frustration at his confusion. Finally she let her face relax, let out a sigh, and then looked back at the horizon. "Luffy…" she started calmly and quietly, "you know just about everything about us…about me. You know I wasn't raised by my blood parents, and that my foster mother was murdered by Arlong right in front of me. You know that he took me in as a kind of slave, making maps for him. You know he made me a deal that I could buy back my village, and that I stole from people and pirates to do just that." she explained to him.

"Aa..." he nodded still looking a little confused as Nami continued her story, "You also know that I have a love for money and mikans,**(4)** and that I can be a little short tempered and selfish. Luffy, you know me as a person, imperfections and all…not just my name…Do you understand?" she asked this last part while looking him in the eyes.

He continued to look at her with that unflinching and unsettling gaze that he had fixed on her the whole time she had explained herself. Luffy stared at her a little longer before looking back out into the horizon. "I think I do…" he finally said, "But…" he went silent once more.

Nami watched him as it appeared he was trying to gather his thoughts. He furrowed his brows a bit as he continued to gaze at the horizon. 'Was this really all there was to him? Is what they see of him everyday all that builds up this boy?' she thought to herself. She knew he had an unbending and almost unmerciful will. They had seen that during his argument and fight with Usopp. She also knew that he could be immature, childish, spontaneous, and clueless. However, she also knew that he was kind and the most unselfish being she had ever met, except for when it came to food... He always put others before himself, but there had to be more. Or…did there? Maybe she just wanted there to be more to him? But why would she want that? She furrowed her eyebrows and scrunched up her nose. He still looked like he was trying to think of something to say. She relaxed her face and looked away from him.

"Mmm…," she hummed while shaking her head, "never mind, it's okay…" Luffy looked back over at her with his blank stare. "Well…," she said while turning to move back toward the edge. "I will leave you to your thoughts." she finished saying.

"Aa." he responded following her toward the edge. As she turned back around facing him to climb down, he offered her his hand to help her down. She didn't hesitate this time and grabbed a hold of it. He stretched it down slowly lowering her down. As she reached the bottom she released his hand, and his arm snapped back into place. Without a word or even his usual grin, he disappeared back over the top. Nami was a little surprised by this.

When she was a little ways back towards the others, she turned back around to get another look at him. He was already sitting in the middle of Sunny with his arms and legs crossed. She turned back to continue her walk back towards the others.

She had a perplexed look on her face when she finally reached the others. They had all watched her approach and were anticipating what she would say. She only sat in her usual chair still deep in thought. They all continued watching her anxiously awaiting for her to speak at any moment. When she only continued sitting in silence with the perplexed expression on her face, Zoro and Usopp began to become annoyed, "Oi!! So what did he say?! What did you talk about?!" Zoro finally broke the silence at his loss of patience.

Nami looked up at Zoro as if noticing they were all looking at her for the first time. She immediately showed her annoyance at his question, "Well, if you wanted to know, you should have asked him yourself!" she yelled at him annoyed.

Robin only gently giggled at her response. "Che!"**(5)** was Zoro's only response at her remark, as he made his way toward the dining/kitchen and Sanji. "Oi…you done with lunch yet?" he asked still annoyed, as he approached the doorway.

"Have some patience, Marimo!" Sanji remarked to his question as he turned back into the kitchen.

"What did you call me, Dartboard?" Zoro retorted, ready to attack the cook. Usopp only looked at Nami annoyed, and then looked back at Luffy.

Zoro and Sanji were still arguing and name calling, making a huge ruckus in the process. "Hey! That's enough you two!!" Franky yelled as he emerged from his Weapon Development Room and descended down towards them. He spent a lot of time in there working on himself, or making new weapons for himself or the ship. "I can't concentrate with all the noise you two are making!" he screamed at them. Sanji finally walked back into the kitchen to make lunch and Zoro walked back onto the deck to settle in for a nap. Franky followed Sanji into the dining area and sat at the table awaiting lunch.

Robin sat in silence just watching the Navigator, who seemed to have a lot on her mind, and was staring at her Captain's back. A smile began to play on her lips as she watched her. Then she lifted her book back up to her face to continue reading.

After about fifteen minutes, Sanji finally came out to announce lunch was ready. Zoro got up from his short nap and began to walk with Robin and Nami inside to the dining area. Usopp and Chopper flew by ready to eat. Everyone had joined Franky in the dining area as they all took their seats…all but one person.

Sanji looked back in Luffy's direction. "Oi, Luffy!" he yelled toward him.

Luffy perked up and turned toward Sanji, "Nani?" Sanji can only stare at Luffy in surprise. Usually Luffy comes running at the mere smell of food, but yet here he sat not even realizing Sanji had just announced that lunch was ready.

"Lunch is served…"he repeated for him. Luffy stared back at Sanji for about three seconds before what he said finally registered.

"Yahoo!" he said as he jumped down and began running toward him. Sanji moved out of his way to watch him pass. He had been grinning and laughing all the while. Sanji continued to watch him as he plopped down and began to wolf down his meat. 'What was that all about?' he asked himself. 'What could he have possibly been so deep in thought about, that he didn't even hear my announcement for lunch?' The talk he and Nami had earlier came to mind. 'What did they talk about?' He watched as Luffy and Usopp began to fight over the same piece of meat, while Chopper was yelling at them from the side. Even Chopper who had been in his new infirmary had heard Sanji's announcement. He watched as Franky and Zoro joined the squabble.

It seemed no one had even noticed Luffy's slight tardiness. He was usually one of the first to sit down to any meal. Now that he was eating he seemed to be himself again. Luffy had of course won the battle over the hunk of flesh, and was now gulping it down in one bite, while Usopp frowned beside him. Franky and Zoro were yelling at him as Chopper tried fighting Luffy for another piece of meat.

"Sanji-kun…Are you ok?" Sanji didn't give it another thought, "Haaaii!! Nami-swaaan!"

**To Be Continued…**

Sorry but I like to use a little Japanese in my stories. I hope you all don't mind. Here are some translations of the words or responses you might not be familiar with. Also explanations of the ship.

**1: **The crow's nest doubles as a look out and a gym.

**2: **Aa is yes (informal). "aa" is generally only used by men.

**3: **Un is yes (informal) "un" is used only by women.

**4: **Mikan is mandarin orange.

**5: **Che is a general sound of annoyance.

I'm going on the assumption that everyone knows what Nani, Oi, and Hai mean, but if you don't just asked and I will tell what they do mean. :P


	2. Chapter 2: Unusual Behavior

**Author's Note: **Some of the characters might be a little OOC in this chapter, so I apologize in advance. I'm always worried people might think the characters in my story are OOC. I try my hardest to make sure that they are IC, but there is only one Oda in the world who knows exactly how the characters should be. :P I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please review! Criticism and flames are welcome. I could use it! However please be gentle if possible! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 2: Unusual Behavior**

Nami sat in her usual chair watching Luffy as he played a game with Usopp and Chopper. After Lunch everyone seemed to go back to their normal routines. Robin was sitting next to Nami in her chair reading one of her many books. Sanji was in the kitchen cleaning up from lunch, Franky had disappeared into his Weapon Development Room to try and improve the ships weapons or himself, Zoro was taking another one of his many naps on deck, and the three friends were playing some kind of ball game.

'Those idiots are going to lose that ball to the sea.' she narrowed her eyes a bit at the thought. She watched as Usopp kicked it and Luffy jumped up to catch it before it went flying into the sea. They all cheered and laughed. 'Maybe that was part of the game?' she thought to herself.

She watched Luffy's movements some more and noticed how fluid and agile he was. Her mind began to wander back to their earlier conversation. Luffy had come off really dense, but Nami knew better. Luffy couldn't possibly be that dense. In some of the fights she had a chance to witness, and the many people they encountered on their journey, she and the others had the rare glimpses into his intelligence. She believed they were all aware of his intelligence. After all, none of them would follow a complete idiot, right? 'So why did he sometimes...?' she let the thought trail as she heard someone yell her name, "Oi, Nami!! Watch out!!"

All of a sudden the ball they had been kicking around was sailing in her direction. The ball hit the table and bumped her elbow, which was holding the tropical drink Sanji had made her. The liquid flew from the glass and drenched her completely. The warning had come out of the mouth of none other than Monkey D. Luffy himself. Nami was immediately angry and agitated as she could feel the stickiness adhere to her skin.

Luffy stood up from the ground, and was looking at a now drenched Nami. Her hair was wet and completely covering her eyes, then she began to bare her teeth in anger. Luffy began to get nervous, he knew Nami was about to explode into a violent rage.

Nami jerked out of her chair almost knocking it over. She began to stomp over in their direction. Luffy's first impulse was to run, but he ran from no one, not even Nami. He stood his ground, even though Usopp and Chopper had already fled.

Luffy could only watch her approach and wait for the inevitable. She stopped in front of Luffy. Luffy knew the pain was coming but he didn't flinch, "Ahou!!"**(1)** she seethed as she brought up her arm. 'Here it comes...' he thought just waiting for the impending pain, but he wasn't expecting for what happened next.

Her arm came whipping across his face, with a loud clap. His head snapped in the direction in which she had slapped him. Luffy made a throaty noise and his eyes were wide in surprise. Slowly he turned back toward her eyes still wide and put his fingertips to the now stinging flesh where she had struck him.

"Watch what you are doing, Baka!" she said a little more quietly, but just as stern.

Her hair was still covering most of her face, so Luffy could not read her expression. Suddenly she turned on her heel and stomped off toward the cabin. He watched her as she stomped up the stairs to the observation room,**(2)** flung open the door then slammed it behind her. By now everyone who was on deck were looking toward him.

Sanji had come out of the kitchen at hearing Luffy's yells to Nami and had witnessed everything there after, "Baka, Luffy!! How dare you be so careless to allow any harm come to Nami-san!" It was now his turn to stomp over to Luffy, whose eyes were now concealed under his hat.

Sanji stopped in front of Luffy, grabbed him by the vest, and pulled him up to his face. The red mark was still visible on Luffy's cheek. "Oi! Answer me!" There was no response out of the silent Captain. Sanji shoved Luffy backwards while releasing his vest, "Oi! Are you even listening?!" he yelled at Luffy. Luffy stumbled slightly back before he regained his balance. Eyes still concealed he turned around and began to walk over to Sunny's head completely ignoring the now fuming cook.

"Oi, Luffy!" yelled Sanji in his last attempt to get Luffy's attention.

"Yamero!"**(3)** a voice called out. Sanji turned back to a slouched Zoro who still looked like he was asleep.

"Let it go." he said in a quiet but commanding voice.

"Che..." Sanji cursed as he turned to stomp back towards the kitchen obeying the unspoken second in command.

Zoro slightly opened his eyes to look toward where his Captain was now sitting on top of Sunny's head. He looked at Luffy's back for awhile before closing his eyes again.

----

Nami stormed into the bathhouse, slammed the door and then leaned on it. She stood there for awhile, still slightly fuming about what had happened. After awhile she finally moved away from the door. She was glad she had stocked the bathhouse with an extra pair of her clothes. She began to remove her stained and sticky clothing. She looked down at the now reddish stained clothes, 'It's going to be very difficult getting this stain out.' she thought to herself then she threw it down hard into a laundry basket.

She walked over to the shower and turned it on. Once the temperature was just right she stepped under it. She stood letting the water stream down her body as the stickiness began to wash away. 'What was wrong with her?' she thought to herself once her temper began to diminish. She leaned her head against the wall of the as she stood under the shower. Nami sighed to herself...'How foolish...' Nami thought to herself as she closed her eyes. She would some how have to apologize to Luffy.

The events that just took place moments ago played into her mind. Even though she had been deep in thought about Luffy, she had still been watching them play their game. She had seen everything that had happened. She felt a little embarrassed at the thought. Usopp had kicked the ball to Chopper, but the little reindeer had missed his mark. She watched as Luffy noticed its direction and had tried to some how catch it or to knock it off course. He had dove for the ball and even stretched his arms out but it was still out of his reach and he wasn't quick enough. Once he hit the deck he had yelled out to Nami, "Oi! Nami! Watch out!" She didn't have enough time to react to the speed of the ball. Also since she was still deep in thought, even though she had been watching, it hadn't clicked in her mind to move. It had all happened so fast.

She had lost her temper at feeling the drink stick to her skin. She had gotten up and stomped in their direction. Usopp and Chopper had fled from her, Luffy had not. For some reason this seemed to anger her more, "Ahou!" was all she could say. She wasn't sure if she called him that because of what happened or because he didn't flee from her like the others had. Before she could stop herself, she had struck him across the face. She looked up slightly, when he had turned back to her he had had a look of surprise...and disbelief on his face. She lowered her gaze again at seeing his expression. She was glad her hair was in her face because she could feel it grow hot with embarrassment. To cover up what she had done she could only say, "Watch what you are doing, Baka!" Then she had turned to walk back toward the cabin.

Once she had slammed the observation room door shut she had leaned up against it. She could then hear Sanji's angry yells at their Captain as he stomped over to him. However, it had been one sided, for Luffy never responded to him. She had raised her head at this, not believing what she was hearing...or not hearing. Sanji had continued yelling at Luffy to answer him, but he never did. Nami covered her mouth, and frowned. 'What was he doing?!' she had thought to herself getting angry at him again. Then she heard Zoro's quiet and commanding voice, and finally Sanji's loud footsteps stomping back to the kitchen.

Nami snapped back to reality, and opened her eyes. She knew only Usopp, Chopper and Luffy knew the truth about what had happened. How was she going to face them...With her head high...that's how. She refused to show any embarrassment about this. She had her pride after all. However, she had lost her temper and lashed out at the only person that didn't run. She would have to swallow that pride and apologize. She had never apologized to Luffy for anything before, but she felt she owed it to him this time. After all he had allowed her to release her anger on him, even though it wasn't even his fault.

'Why had he done that anyway?' she thought to herself. 'Did it have something to do with their conversation from earlier?' Or maybe...that's just who he was. He feared nothing or no one. Luffy never ran, no matter what.

Nami finished up with her shower and stepped out to dry herself. She dressed then stepped out and walked down to the Observation Room. She walked in, closed the door, and then sat down at her desk. She was a little behind on her map making anyway. She decided to do that until dinner.

As Nami began to sketch out a map, she couldn't help but think about Luffy. It bothered her how he had let Sanji yell at him. He never even fought back. She also thought about their earlier conversation and to his reaction at her having struck him. Why had she reacted that way? Usually she would have just pummeled him. However, his not running had affected her. Usually when she attacks him he is either near or has his back to her. This time...he had been facing her, and the look on his face, he never flinched, it was serious. 'Why did it anger her more?' His expression was that of defiance. Like a challenge. No, she had to be imagining things.

Then Robin's words came to mind, '"Did you ever think that maybe our Captain-san acts the way he does because he chooses to?"' 'Is it true? Does Luffy act silly and as if he doesn't know anything, because he chooses to?' Then her earlier thoughts came to mind. She had thought to herself, that none of them would follow a complete idiot. She began to try and recap some of Luffy's rare glimpses into his intelligence.

The first she can recall that she had the chance to witness was his fight with Arlong. She remembered his words to Arlong; he had said that he needed others to survive. Someone with intelligence could only figure that out, right? Nami too knew she needed others to survive, even though she had tried alone, but Luffy knew this as well. She also remembered what he had done for her...how could she possibly forget? He didn't just set her free from Arlong by defeating him. He had also freed her from that room that was like a hellish prison for her, by destroying it. She remembered how she felt when she first saw that desk come flying out. He knew he could help her by destroying that room. She was so grateful, that she could only thank him to herself, as she had shed tears. An idiot couldn't have possibly figured this out. Not only that, he cared, truly cared about how she felt.

She also thought about back at Enies Lobby. Robin had thought to sacrifice herself to save them. She wanted to protect them like Vivi had. However, Luffy had showed Robin he wasn't afraid of the World Government, by destroying their flag. He had also showed her that there was no saving them any longer. It was now pointless for her to sacrifice herself. She could either fight with them or die by the marines. Then she remembered his words, "Tell me you want to live?!"

She also recalled what Usopp had said about Luffy's slight squabble with Vivi. He had told her to risk their lives along with hers. He had also said that people would get hurt…that people would die. It was a war after all, and there wasn't much Vivi could do about it. He had been right, and Vivi finally accepted that, as well as not being afraid that they would get hurt.

Nami furrowed her eyebrows, No...She knew Luffy. She had been wrong. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and continuing her map making.

----

Usopp and Chopper sat on the deck as they watched their Captain in silence with frowns across their brows. The both felt guilty at having abandoned their Captain to the mercy of Nami's rage. They had both approached Luffy and had apologized. He had only turned to them with a smile and said, "Don't worry about it." Then he had turned back to the horizon. His smile had seemed...troubled.

They knew Nami had been watching them the entire time and had seen everything that had happened. Yet she had lashed out at Luffy, and the way she had lashed out was not the way she usually did. Usually she would just pummel them, but this time...it was different. Even though it was simple, it had affected their Captain. Why it had affected him, they weren't sure.

But then his and Nami's conversation came to mind, 'What did they talk about?' His silence even when Sanji had been yelling at him was troubling. The two just continued to stare at their Captain's back a little worried. They couldn't see his eyes now for they were concealed under his hat. He had put it on after Nami had stormed off deck. Now the wind threatened to knock it off, but some how it managed to stay on his head.

Zoro too had been watching their Captain with hooded eyes. Nami's simple attacked seemed to have upset Luffy. The conversation he and Nami had earlier came to his mind now too, 'What had they talked about?' he thought to himself. This was unusual behavior for the two. It must have been some conversation.

He hadn't seen exactly what had happened. He had woken up to Luffy's yells. When he opened his eyes, he was just in time to see the ball hit the table that Nami had been leaning her elbow on. She had been holding a tropical drink in that hand, and he had drenched her. The way she had lashed out at Luffy wasn't normal, and neither was Luffy's reaction.

Then if that was bad enough that ahou cook had then tried to pick a fight with Luffy. Zoro had no intention in interfering; however, Luffy's lack of response had surprised him. When Luffy had turned his back on Sanji, he knew something wasn't right. That was when he decided to intercede. He was a little surprised that Sanji had obeyed, but he figured Sanji thought Luffy's behavior was unusual as well, and that it wasn't worth it.

Zoro closed his eyes and decided to take another nap before dinner.

----

Nami never did come back on deck. Sanji walked up to the observation room door and knocked once, "Nami- swaaan! Dinner is served!" he practically sang at her door.

"Haai." he heard from inside. Satisfied he walked back down on deck. "Oi, dinner is served." he announced to the others. Everyone got up from their spots and made their way to the dining area. Usopp and Chopper of course were both running toward the dining area. Franky had come out from his Weapon Development Room and headed for the dining area as well.

Luffy slowly stood up from his spot on Sunny and jumped down. He walked instead of ran to the dining area. Everyone was silent and watched as he made his way inside, sat down, and began to eat as if nothing was wrong. Then everyone else began to eat except for Franky, who had no clue as to what was going on. He looked around as everyone ate in silence. "Oi, mind telling me what's going on?" he asked now eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

Everyone except for Luffy paused in the middle of their meals to look at Franky. Then Nami entered the dining area. All eyes turned to her, Franky followed their gaze. Even Luffy had looked up for a split second before returning to his meal. Everyone watched as she sat down, and then began to resume eating. "Oi!" Franky said more annoyed. Zoro finally spoke, "It's nothing really. Just an accident. I'll tell you about it later." he promised. Franky could only nod in response. It seemed he had no choice. He looked around one more time; a few eyes weren't visible, including Luffy's. Robin was eating as if she didn't notice the atmosphere. Franky just shrugged as he finally turned to his meal.

----

It had to be the most uncomfortable, unsettling meal any of them had ever had to sit through. Everyone dispersed after dinner. Robin had relocated to the aquarium room to read her book seeing as it had gotten dark. Usopp had gone to his new factory with his new invention, while Chopper had gone back to his infirmary to work on his medicines. Nami had returned to the observation room to work on her maps. Sanji was cleaning up the kitchen. Zoro and Franky sat at the dining table drinking sake, while Zoro was telling Franky about the day's earlier events. It was getting dark and Luffy was first shift in the crow's nest. So there he sat, staring into the horizon.

**To Be Continued…**

Here are more translations and also some explanations for this chapter.

**1:** Ahou is moron or idiot. Baka is fool, idiot or stupid. I use Ahou for idiot and Baka for stupid in my story.

**2:** The bath house is located just above the observation room on Thousand Sunny. A ladder is used in the observation room to access the bath house above. The observation room and bath house are the circular looking part at the back of Sunny.

**3: **Yamete/Yamero request forms of the verb "to stop (doing something)", "yameru"; "yamete" is the standard form, "yamero" is informal male speech.

**Author's Note: **Sorry if Luffy and Nami seemed OOC, but that's just how I felt they would react, or at least how I wanted them to react. If you haven't guessed, neither have any feelings towards the other. This story is basically showing a view of how feelings do develop. From now on I will post a chapter once every few days to give myself time to finish typing out a chapter. I hope you all enjoyed my first two chapters so far! Please review:D


	3. Chapter 3: Apology In The Crow's Nest

**Author's Note: **Yes, I know I'm making the assumption that they allow Luffy to take up watch in the crow's nest. Not only that but I'm not sure that they even do that. Just bear with me and let me tell my story, LOL! I have decided to leave the numbering out next to words or parts of the ship that you may not understand upon request. Instead, I added a corner at the end of the chapter translating and explaining what I think readers may not understand. In my last chapter after Nami's shower, I made a mistake. It says she walked down to the Observation Room, it's supposed to be she climbed down to the Observation Room. It's a ladder going from the Bathhouse and Observation Room, not stairs, so, sorry about that. I hope you all enjoy my next chapter! Please review! Criticism and flames are welcome! I know I need them, but please be gentle:P

**P.S. ** Oh! I forgot to mention the music that inspired me in this story. The first two songs that inspired me were: **Blue October:** She's My Ride Home and **Three Days Grace: **It's Never Too Late. Then it was a ton of other songs. I won't make a huge o' list. Actually, if you are interested, there is a complete list in my profile! The lyrics have nothing to do with my story by the way. It was mostly the sound of the music and how the singer sung. Just the way it sounds inspires me. :D

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 3: Apology in the Crow's Nest**

Luffy sat in silence as he stared out to sea. He sat on one of the weight-lifting benches, leaning forward over the side of the crow's nest's front window. He had all of the window's open so he could see out better from each window, and also so he could hear anything from outside. Leaving all the windows open during watch had been suggested for better viewing.

He had his arms crossed, and hanging out the window. He also had a hand on each opposite arm. He had a blanket over his shoulders for warmth for the wind had turned chilly. Suddenly he heard a door open and some voices.

He got up, walked over to the window at his back, stuck his head out, and looked down. "Oi, good night Luffy!" the guys all called up to him.

"I'll take second shift." Zoro called up to him.

"Okay! Good night!" he said in return as he waved down at them. He walked back over to the front window, resumed his previous position and watched as all three who had been in the dining room disappeared into the men's sleeping quarters on the other side of the ship.

After about an hour and a half passed, Luffy began to doze off. Suddenly he heard a noise behind him, and he turned around quickly. Since it was dark inside, Luffy could not see who it was coming in through the door of the crow's nest.

"Luffy, can we talk?" Luffy made a throaty response in surprise. The last person he thought it would be was Nami.

"A…aa." he responded unsure. She walked over to where he was.

Luffy had scooted over, and then opened his arm and the blanket for her to share with him. After all it was a chilly night.

She looked at him in surprise for a few seconds before walking over to him and then sitting down close to him. He smiled then closed his arm and the blanket around her. Then he removed his arm from around her and leaned back out over the window. There was just enough room in the window for Nami to do the same. It was a little tight, but they fit.

Nami grabbed the blanket and pulled it a little tighter around her. It was pretty cold in the crow's nest since Luffy had all the windows open. They had also just come from an autumn island. It was pretty warm during the day, but colder at night. She was glad the next island was to be a summer island, or at least that's what she was told.

They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the view of the moon and stars reflecting off the surface of the sea.

Finally, Nami spoke up to say what she had come to say, "Ne, Luffy." Luffy looked toward her, "I wanted to apologize for earlier today." she said quickly.

'There it was out! It had been hard to say, but I said it.' she thought to herself.

Luffy made his throaty response in surprise again as he continued to look at her.

"I overreacted today...and I'm sorry." she continued staring out to sea, not daring to look at him.

Luffy continued to look at her for awhile before turning away back to the sea.

Nami could no longer contain her curiosity, "Why didn't you run away with the others?"

Luffy just grinned, chuckled, and shrugged his shoulders.

Nami looked over at him. 'Did he just play martyr knowing she needed someone to release her anger on?' she thought to herself as she continued to look at him. She had found herself thinking about him earlier that day when she had been sketching maps. Sure, Luffy may be a little mysterious, but she knew more about him then she first realized. She didn't need to know more about him then she already did.

"I was wrong earlier." she said still looking at him.

"Hmm?" he questioned looking toward her.

"I do know you." she said smiling.

"Of course you do!" he replied grinning. Luffy's grin shrunk to just a smile. "You know, I thought about what we talked about too." Nami's eyes widened in surprise and it was her turn to make a throaty response.

Luffy continued, "I haven't kept much about myself from you. Well...except for maybe about my Jii-chan. He's kind of a scary guy." he said this while making a scrunched up face at mention his Jii-chan.

"Yeah, you're right about that!" Nami replied. They both laughed at this.

Luffy looked away from her, "I didn't know anything about my father until my Jii-chan told us, and well I don't remember my mother." he said with a serious look on his face.

Nami had been watching him the entire time. There was a few more moments of silence before again Nami's curiosity got the better of her, "Luffy, how did you get that scar?"

"Oh, this?" he asked while pointing at it and looking at her with a smile on his face.

"Un." she replied while nodding.

Luffy looked away again, "I cut myself." he replied as he lightly ran his fingertips over it slowly the smile becoming smaller.

"Cut yourself?! Like on purpose?!" Nami replied in amazement.

"Aa…" Luffy replied while nodding, "I wanted to prove to Shanks and his crew that I wasn't afraid, that I was brave and tough enough for them to take me with them on the seas. I was only about seven." he continued his explanation.

'Only seven?!' Nami thought to herself. 'That's incredible!'

Luffy chuckled and looked as if he were in some far off place, "I hadn't eaten the devil's fruit yet." he said in a soft voice.

"Luffy...that's amazing, yet incredibly stupid all at the same time." she said still amazed he had done this to himself.

Luffy looked at her and laughed. She could only join him in his laughter.

"Yeah, I guess so!" he replied to that as he continued laughing.

Just by his simple story, she had more insight into Luffy. He had seemed like a different person back then. Then again, she could see Luffy doing something like that now. She felt a little honored to possibly be the only crew member to know about his scar.

Nami smiled to herself, realizing something else about Luffy. "You know, you are the most positive person I have ever met." she said still looking at him.

"You really think so?" he asked while grinning at her.

"Yes I do!" she said grinning back at him.

He laughed at this before looking back out to sea, "It's no fun any other way. Besides, it's better to keep everyone else happy. If I wasn't happy, then you guys wouldn't be either. Someone has to keep us all happy, right?" he explained this while grinning and giving a small chuckle.

Nami made her throaty response to this declaration. She stared at Luffy in disbelief, and then Robin's words came flooding into her mind, '"Did you ever think that maybe our Captain-san acts the way he does because he chooses to?"' 'Was it true then?' she thought to herself.

She regained her composure before giving a nervous laugh, "I guess that's true. After all, a smile and laughter are contagious, right?" she replied while giving a nervous lopsided smile.

"Aa!" he agreed enthusiastically, while nodding and grinning.

They both stared out to sea for awhile. Then again Nami broke the silence, "So Luffy, what do you plan on doing after you've become the Pirate King?"

Luffy was silent for awhile thinking about her question. Finally he answered her, "I don't really know. I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I suppose I will wait until I become the Pirate King and just go from there." he replied with another grin and chuckle.

"Honestly, I should have known those words were going to come out of your mouth." Nami replied with a lopsided smiled and raised brow. Then they both laughed at her comment.

Nami looked over at Luffy, and for some reason it was like seeing him for the first time. She made a face at this thought, 'That's just silly!' Then she found herself studying his face. It was the first time she ever really just looked at him. 'Did he always look like this?' she thought to herself as her face softened. His hat was off and hanging down his back. His slightly longish and loose hair was blowing around in the wind brushing up against his face and neck. He had only a slight smile and a far away look on his face, a soft look. With the moon shining down on him, Nami thought, he almost looked...nice.

Nami almost gasped and shook her head to give herself a mental shake. 'What in the world am I thinking?!' she mentally yelled to herself as she had looked away from Luffy. 'This was Luffy after all!!' she reminded herself.

"You okay, Nami?" Luffy asked concerned. He had seen her shake her head from the corner of his eye.

Luffy was now looking at her with a concerned expression. She blushed slightly, "U...un." she replied immediately with a nervous smile and laugh.

Luffy continued to stare at her with a confused expression on his face. It was a good thing it was dark in the crow's nest because Nami's face was burning hot with embarrassment. It must have been a deep red. Knowing Luffy he would probably mistake it for a fever. Nami figured it was probably time for bed.

Nami gave a yawn and stretched her arms high, "It's getting pretty late. I should turn in." she said while giving Luffy a nervous smile and a bit of a laugh.

"A…aa." Luffy replied while looking at Nami having forgotten his earlier confusion.

Nami removed the blanket from around her and handed it back to Luffy. He pulled the blanket back around himself, while Nami had got up and walked towards the door to the outside, Luffy following her. She opened it and stepped down and began her climb down. Luffy watched her as she made it to the deck. She looked back up at him and waved. He waved back and watched her as she disappeared inside the women's sleeping quarters. He closed the door and walked back to his spot and sat down, and resumed his position. He stared back at the horizon with a thoughtful expression on his face. His being sleepy was long forgotten.

----

Nami closed her bedroom door quietly behind her, being sure as to not wake the guys below. She walked quietly over to her bed and sat down hard. 'What was that all about?' she asked herself. She put her face in her hands. The image of Luffy with his far away gaze came floating back into her mind involuntarily. Nami immediately gasped as she sat up straight and her eyes flew open.

"What is wrong with me?" she asked herself out loud in a whisper. "This is Luffy we are talking about!" Then she realized she was now talking to herself. She let herself fall backwards on to her bed. 'I must be losing my sanity...' she thought to herself.

'It's a good thing Robin isn't here yet to have heard me.' she thought to herself as she lay there. Robin stayed up all hours of the night reading. It's a wonder she gets up as early as she does, but it does explain all the coffee she drinks in the morning. After awhile, she thought it was time to go to bed. She rolled off and got ready for sleep.

----

That morning Nami got up, and got ready for breakfast. As she entered the dining area, everyone looked her way to greet her for the morning. Her eyes briefly met Luffy's for a second before she hastily looked away. "You're up late today, Nami-san." stated Sanji from the kitchen. Nami had taken her place at the table.

"Huh...oh yeah!" she laughed nervously trying not to look at Luffy. "I...uh...couldn't sleep well last night." she explained nervously. She saw Luffy look up at her from the corner of her eye. She reacted before she could stop herself and looked over at him. He was staring at her with an odd expression. She knew she was telling half truths, but it might be better not to tell everyone about their talk last night.

"Oh really, well that's to bad Nami-san, I hope you sleep better tonight." Sanji told her with a smile as he took a drag of his ever present cigarette. 'Had what happened yesterday upset Nami-san? What did that Ahou say to upset my Nami-swan so much?!' he thought to himself as he slightly narrowed his eyes at Luffy.

Nami had looked away from Luffy the second Sanji had spoken. Now she looked at everyone, "We should be porting at a new island today." she announced.

"Really?!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly.

"Un!" Nami nodded at him smiling.

"That's great!!" he exclaimed grinning, and then he continued eating. Nami kept her smile as she began to eat as well. Everyone else was just staring at the two. They were acting as if nothing had happened the day before.

"Oi...mind cluing us in?" Zoro asked.

"Hmm?" Luffy questioned, with his mouth full of meat. "What are you talking about?" he looked puzzled by Zoro's question.

"What do you mean, what am I talking about?!" Zoro yelled in Luffy's face.

Nami was getting worried. Chopper's cute little voice cut in, "We...weren't you guys mad at each other?" he asked a little unsure.

"Mad? I was never mad." stated Luffy simply.

Nami let out her breath. 'Good maybe he won't tell anyone...' she thought.

"But you didn't really talk to anyone...afterwards..." Chopper continued still unsure of his words.

'Luffy hadn't talked to anyone?' she thought as she looked at Luffy. 'Had she upset him?'

"Oh, that! I was just thinking, and besides we had a talk last night, right Nami?!" Nami had almost fallen over at his loud statement.

Everyone's eyes turned to her. 'I will not blush. I will not blush. I am going to kill him!' she thought as she smiled nervously, "U…un." she answered nodding.

"Oh..." Chopper and Usopp said at the same time.

"Oh, well that's Supa!" cried Franky doing his blue star pose.

"Un." nodded Robin with her smile agreeing with Franky.

"I see…" said Zoro as he narrowed his eyes.

Then suddenly, everyone could feel a weird aura emitting from the kitchen. Zoro turned towards the kitchen, "Eh...what's the matter Ero-cook?" Zoro only blinked.

"You bastard..." Sanji seethed quietly and dangerously.

First of all, when he, Zoro, and Franky had finally gone to sleep last night, it had been really late. Luffy was in the crow's nest at the time. 'Did he go see Nami-san late that night? What was he doing going to talk to Nami-san so late at night?!' Second, Luffy was supposed to be on watch that night. 'Why did he leave his post when he was supposed to be on look out? And it was to see my Nami-san at a late hour of all things?!' Sanji thought as he grit his teeth.

"Humm?" Luffy mumbled with food in his mouth as he looked at Sanji. All of a sudden Sanji leapt over the counter and was over Luffy in less than a second. He grabbed him by his vest and hauled him out of his chair.

"Nani?!" Luffy exclaimed as he was ripped from his chair. He quickly swallowed what he had in his mouth.

"Sanji-kun?!" Nami exclaimed in surprise.

"Oi! What are you doing, Ero-cook?!" yelled Zoro as he quickly got up from his chair. Everyone else gasped.

"Oi, Sanji! What are you doing?!" yelled Luffy.

"How dare you be with Nami-san at such a late hour!" he seethed in Luffy's face, "What did you do to my Nami-swan?!"

Nami stood up then, "Oi, Sanji-kun! Luffy didn't do anything! We just talked!" she exclaimed, getting a little annoyed.

"Yeah, that's right! We just talked, and I shared my blanket with her!" Luffy stated loudly.

"LUFFY!!" yelled Nami turning red. Nami could not believe what he just said.

By now Sanji's head was bowed and his right eye was shadowed and the other of course was covered by his hair, "You...did...what...?" Sanji asked deathly quiet. 'So, he had dragged Nami-san to a room with a bed, and shared his blanket with her?! This is outrageous!!' he thought as he felt his anger growing.

"Oi...cho...chotto matte, Sanji-kun! It's not like it sounds! I came to him in the crow's nest, and it was cold! He was only trying to keep me warm!" Nami's explanation only seemed to make Sanji's anger worse.

'Trying to keep her warm?! So, now he made Nami-san go all the way to the crow's nest to be with him at such a late hour?! Not only that, but in order to share a blanket he would have to sit close…really close to my Nami-san. Is he trying to take my Nami-san?!!' he thought to himself. His hold on Luffy's vest tightened.

"Eeeh?!" exclaimed Luffy confused as sweat began to bead down his face.

"You...were...in the crow's nest...alone...with my Nami-swan...Sharing the same blanket...and space...as my Nami-swan...When not even I can do that?! You should have given her the blanket, while you froze to death, BAKA!!" Sanji had spoken deathly quiet until the last two sentences.

All of a sudden something hit Sanji over the head and he went flying into a wall. He slid to the floor and stayed there for awhile. Luffy fell to the floor, having suddenly been released. Everyone turned to what had hit Sanji. Nami stood, still holding out her new Perfect Clima Tact, and she was vein popping furious, "What was all that nonsense you were spouting?! And who ever said I was yours?!" she yelled vehemently.

"Eeeeeek!" screeched Usopp and Chopper at the same time while holding each other.

"Yare, yare..." said Robin as she smiled and put a hand to her cheek.

"Oi, you didn't kill him did you?" asked Franky, not really concerned.

"Naw...he's fine..." Zoro replied for Nami, as he yawned and walked towards the exit, "I'm going to take a nap." he informed them as he left the cabin.

Luffy was looking over where Sanji had landed. His teeth were clenched and sweat was beading down his face. "And you!" he heard Nami yell, knowing it was he she was talking to.

"Eeee!" he jumped and then slowly turned towards her...She could be really scary when she was mad.

She looked furious, "Why did you have to open your idiotic mouth?!" she yelled at him.

"But I thought he would be grateful I didn't let you stay cold!" he said trying to explain himself. Nami's fury vanished and her face relaxed. Luffy looked at her in surprise.

"Geez...don't you know anything...?" she said to him rhetorically, she didn't expect an answer. His face relaxed as he looked at her. "Ugh!" she said as she stomped out of the cabin. Luffy just stared at where she walked out of.

""Haaa...now she's mad at you again..." Usopp said while sighing.

Suddenly they heard movement from where Sanji was. Everyone looked towards him. Luffy looked toward him with a blank expression. Sanji dug in his shirt pocket and pulled out his cigarette box and lighter. He pulled one out by his mouth, stuck the box back in his pocket, and then lit it. He put the lighter back in his pocket, took a long drag, and then blew out the smoke. Sanji picked up his head and looked Luffy right in the eyes.

What Nami had just said echoed in his mind. '"And who ever said I was yours?!"' 'What did she mean by that? Did she mean she was someone else's?' Whatever it was it made him really angry at Luffy. 'I have been wooing Nami-san since I came on board, but yet that Ahou could come along and snatch her up? I don't think so…' he thought to himself.

They just stared at each other for a long while, which made Usopp and Chopper nervous. Then suddenly Sanji just stood up, dusted himself off and walked back to the kitchen. Luffy too then stood up, dusted himself off, and then walked back to the table to continue eating. Nothing else needed to be said. Everyone looked from Luffy to Sanji, then back to Luffy, except for Robin who only kept her eyes on Luffy. Luffy had his eyes concealed while he ate. Everyone, but Robin, looked confused. 'What just happened?' they all thought. They all decided it best to leave things alone.

----

Nami had gone up to the observation room. She plopped down at her desk, leaning her face into her hands, with her elbows on the desk. 'What was he thinking, saying what he said?' She sighed...'He probably wasn't thinking at all... It always seems like he provokes people. Everything he had said in there had come out wrong.' She started to become confused. 'Was Luffy capable of a thought or wasn't he? No, he is definitely capable of thought. He's just innocent. He just didn't realize what he said could be taken in a totally wrong way. Sanji should have known better...but when it came to beautiful women, Sanji could only think in one way.' Nami began to think about Sanji's outburst. 'Sanji had really lost his cool. What was that all about?' Nami sighed as she reached for her pen. They should be reaching land in about 3 hours. She should try and get some maps done before then.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **I think you all know what Nakama means but just in case, it means companions, or friends.

**2:** Jii-chan is Grandfather. This is what Luffy calls his Grandfather.

**3: **Ero means erotic, or kind of saying like he's a perv or pervert.

**4: **Yare, yare is an interjection, commonly translated as "Whew!, "Oh well", "Good grief", "Oh brother", etc. It can also mean **Oh!, Ah!, Oh dear!, Dear me!, Aah!, Thank God! I think I used the wrong phrase for Robin. I used Ara, ara. But I think she actually says Yare, yare, as if saying Oh dear, or My my. Sorry I would have to watch through a ton of One Piece episodes to find out for sure which one she uses so please forgive me. If you know for sure which one she uses or if she uses both, please tell me.**

**5: ****A lot of the sound effects that the crew makes are all from the Japanese version of the anime. I don't watch the English version. So you may come across a spelling that the crew says such as, "Eeee" which is a sound they make in fear or concern, or the throaty noise they always make when surprised by something. The noise is always accompanied by a surprised facial expression. So from now on when I say that they make a throaty noise in surprise imagine that they are also making the face so I don't have to type it all out, or if I say a surprised face then pretend the noise accompanies that too. :P Another thing they say is Eh, which is kind of like a What? Or a Huh? in a WHAT THE HELL? kind of way, but not always, sometimes it's just a sound effect questioning like a huh? Also Nan da is more of a What the? in a quiet kind of way. I know, those Japanese are confusing. LOL! Also a lot of their responses will be the Japanese responses not the English ones. However, I may sometimes just have them say the English one instead. Like huh. I may use Are/Ara or I may just say huh or hmm. I know Luffy uses Are in the series. It's so adorable when he does. :P If you don't understand something they say, just let me know. :D Please just bear with me! XD**

**6: **Haaa is kind of like a sigh. Usually used when they are exaggerating said sigh. I think. :P I have heard Usopp use this sound effect before.

**7: **And before someone tries to correct me on my use of the word bear when saying, "Please bear with me." That's actually the correct spelling. I thought it was bare but, word proved me wrong. :O

Bear with, to be patient or forbearing with: _Please bear with me until I finish my story. _

LOL! Don't ask…-.-;

**Author's Note: **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review! I want to hear what you all thought about it. Your reviews help me in my next chapters and give me ideas! Sorry, I know some of you were looking forward to seeing what was inside Luffy's mind. Unfortunately, Luffy's mind remains a mystery and a secret as far as the series goes, so his mind remains a mystery and secret in my story. Since we have no idea what goes on up there and whether he is super intelligent or not, this is something that was too important to assume. So I refrained from putting in his thoughts. At the end of my story, I may put in some thoughts he might have had. Maybe…Sorry, if I made Sanji look like a jealous fool, but this is just how I think he would feel if he felt threatened Nami might be snatched up. I honestly think he favors Nami, and is trying to get her, or at least in her pants. I honestly think he does what he does just to pamper women, but he most definitely favors Nami over Robin, which to me is like he is also trying to woo her. So yeah, to me I think he would explode into a jealous rage. Just my opinion. If ya don't like it, I sowwie! Q.Q If you found any typos……Hey, I tried! Nobody is perfect okay! Just read the gosh darned story!! LOL! Thanks:D


	4. Chapter 4: Fire Phoenix Island

**Author's Note: **Welcome to my fourth chapter! I have an OC character in this one. I hope you like her:D This is kind of where my story REALLY begins. Well it becomes more in depth. I really hope you all enjoy it. And I know, I know the name of my island is corny, so sue me! I'm bad with names, okay! Anyways, please review! Flames and criticism are welcome! I learn from them. Enjoy! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 4: Fire Phoenix Island**

"Did Nami ever say what the name of the next island was?" asked Usopp. He was sitting out on the deck with his invention. Even though he had his own factory for inventing things, he still enjoyed sitting on deck with his Nakama every now and then.

"Nope." replied Zoro from his place on the deck. He had his eyes closed and appeared to be asleep.

"I wonder what it's like?!" asked Chopper to no one in particular. He was just excited at the prospect of a new island.

"Who knows..." replied Zoro lazily.

"I wonder about its history." remarked Robin from her seat with a smile on her face.

"If we only knew what it was called, we could have gotten an idea about it." said Usopp thoughtfully.

"Hmmm..." they all replied to that, except for Zoro who still had his eyes closed.

"Maybe it's a mystery island!" exclaimed Luffy excitedly, who had been listening up until that point.

"Baka, it's not a mystery island!" retorted Zoro annoyed.

"That's right...it's Fire Phoenix Island." They all turned to look at Nami who had come out of the Observation Room. She was coming down the stairs. "At least, that's what I was told at our last stop." she continued.

"Aww...so it's not a mystery island?" whined Luffy with his brows furrowed and a pout on his face.

"Of course not!!" yelled Nami.

"I already said it wasn't!!" yelled Zoro at the same time.

"Hmmm..." replied Luffy, still pouting in disappointment.

"We should be arriving within the next fifteen to twenty minutes or so." Nami said while looking at Zoro. Zoro nodded and headed for the crow's nest.

Luffy ran up to Sunny's head and stretched his arms to jump on. He sat down and waited in anticipation for the next island.

Nami took her usual seat and immediately her eyes went to her Captain. His hat had fallen back on the string, and the breeze was blowing through his hair. She looked around at the rest of the crew. Chopper was sitting next to Usopp, who was working on the same invention. He hadn't announced what it was or what it did yet. Chopper was wide eyed and completely interested in what Usopp was doing. Then she looked over at Robin across from her, whose face was buried in a book as usual. She had gotten a fresh stack from their last stop. She looked up towards the crow's nest. Zoro was already inside and out of sight. Nami's eyes wandered back to Luffy.

Robin glanced up from her book and looked at their Navigator. Her eyes were glued to their Captain's back. She set down her book, placed her hand in her chin, and just watched her for a while. "Hmmm...?' she finally hummed while smiling.

Nami jumped a little in surprise and looked toward Robin, "Oh, you startled me..." she said putting a hand to her racing heart. Robin only continued to smile at her.

"Is something wrong?" asked Nami.

Robin shook her head slowly while still smiling, "You seem to have a lot on your mind, Navigator-san." she replied, smile still present.

Nami looked away from Robin and looked back towards Luffy, "He confuses me is all..." she replied.

Robin then turned her eyes to their Captain. Her smile broadened, "Ah, he can do that to you." she replied back.

Nami sighed as she continued looking at him, "He always seems to make me angry..." she said quietly.

Robin looked back at Nami, "He doesn't mean to." she said gently, still smiling.

"I know that..." Nami replied a little annoyed.

"Why does he make you so mad, Navigator-san?" Robin asked her gently.

"I...I don't know..." Nami replied with furrowed brows. "I mean I know that I have a short fuse and that the guys can irritate me easy, but Luffy..." she trailed off.

Robin was almost grinning now as she turned to look back at their Captain, "It would seem he lived a pretty sheltered life in some aspects." Nami turned to look at Robin. "Captain-san is a genius when it comes to fighting, and he seems to be a quick thinker. Not only that but he always instinctively knows who's the strongest out of opponents and knows who he has to fight. He also seems to have a knack at sensing what someone needs and knowing what to do about it. However, Captain-san seems to be naive and has an air of innocence when it comes to..._other things_..." Robin explained. She put an emphasis on "other things".

"You really think so?" Nami asked her with a slight frown. She knew Robin was right. Luffy was innocent.

"Ee!" replied Robin with a nod and smiled warmly at Nami.

"Land-ho!" they all heard Zoro cry.

"Aha!" Luffy laughed as he perked up once land came into his view. Everyone got up and walked over to Sunny's starboard bow. They all looked ahead and sure enough there was a huge island with a large mountain in the middle of it. Sanji came out of the kitchen at hearing Zoro and headed towards the others.

"That mountain kind of looks like a volcano." commented Nami.

"Un." nodded Robin in agreement.

Usopp and Chopper both leaned over the rail to get a better look, "A...a...v...volcano?" Usopp stuttered as he sunk to the deck, "I think I've been stricken with cannot-set-foot-on-an-island-with-a-volcano-disease..." he mumbled. Everyone looked at Usopp with narrowed eyes, except for Luffy who was still grinning towards the island.

"A volcano! I hope not!" screamed Chopper who looked worried.

"I'm sure it will be just fine!" Nami said as she glared at them both.

"Yahoo! A volcano!" yelled Luffy in excitement as he pumped both fists into the air.

Nami now glared at Luffy, and then she sighed. 'Of course he would be excited. Luffy is in love with adventure after all...' Nami shook her head. 'Those were the wrong choice of words!' She mentally slapped herself as she looked back towards the island.

"I hope they are impartial to pirates." remarked Sanji, while taking a drag of his cigarette.

"I was told most of the islands in these parts are. They make a lot of profit off of pirates." replied Nami to his question.

"Ah, I see." he said looking towards the island.

----

They docked the ship a little ways from port and away from the town. They all got off the ship except for Zoro, who said he'd stay and watch the ship. They all walked together into town. The town seemed to be bustling and busy in preparation for something.

Nami happened to look over and spotted a poster glued to the side of a building. She walked over to it and read the first few phrases. Her face broke into a grin, and she began to laugh.

Everyone turned toward her, and then walked over to her, curious as to what she was laughing about. They all noticed the poster she must have read and began to read it themselves. They too read the first few phrases.

"Hmm...A dance contest, huh?" Sanji remarked, grabbing his chin in thoughtfulness with a smile.

"There's a cash reward, and free stay at a luxury spa and hotel!" Nami exclaimed excitedly as she put her hands together. "It's like a dream come true!" she continued, belli's in her eyes. "I'm going to enter! After all, we really need the money. Especially since our _Captain_ spent all our money!" she had sneered at the word Captain, while looking over at him accusingly. He only looked back with a blank expression.

"Do you even know how to dance?" asked Usopp looking at Nami doubtful.

Nami turned to Usopp, "I can do anything as long as bellis and luxury are involved!" she replied with a grin and bellis in her eyes.

They had all turned away from the poster. Luffy turned around to look at it again, and then turned and walked along the wall. He stopped at another poster.

"Are?" he questioned while reading it. "Oi, Nami! Look!" he exclaimed loudly, "Free dance lessons!" he continued.

Nami turned and ran to him, "Are you serious?!" she stopped next to him and began to read the poster. After she read it she grinned and looked extremely happy, "It's almost too good to be true! And it's today!" she exclaimed happily.

"Wow, looks like we came just in time…" remarked Franky with a grin.

"I can't wait to see Nami-swan dance!" Sanji exclaimed in his usual love-love eyes.

"This sounds like fun!" exclaimed Luffy excitedly while grinning.

"It really does!" Nami too exclaimed excitedly. "Why don't you guys go ahead and do what you came to do. Here's your allowances." she said handing them all some money. "I'm going to go ahead and head over to this place." she said as she started to turn away.

Sanji was about to speak up but Luffy beat him to it, "Oh! Oh! Can I come?!" he asked jumping up and down with his hand raised.

Nami turned back to look at him, "Oh…I don't see why not…Just don't bother me too much." she replied with a shrug. Luffy laughed as he ran after her. Sanji glared at Luffy's back, but then turned. He needed to buy more food supplies anyway. He was pretty agitated. 'Were they hiding something? I mean, Luffy seemed pretty eager about going with her, and she actually agreed. What did my Nami-swan see in an Ahou like him?!' he asked himself in tearful self pity, as he continued on his way to buy food supplies.

----

Luffy walked beside Nami as they tried to find the place for the dance lessons. Nami had to stop a few times to ask for directions. They finally reached the place, and were now standing in front of it. Luffy had an excited grin that was matched by Nami's equally excited one. They could hear music coming from inside. Nami finally moved and walked inside, Luffy following behind her. There were already a few women inside, as well as a few spectators. Among the spectators were a few men.

"Why don't you go sit over there, okay Luffy?" directed Nami.

"Okay!" he replied while grinning as he walked over and plopped down.

Nami continued her way over to the other women. There was a beautiful woman standing before them. 'She must be the instructor.' thought Nami as she looked the woman over. Her hair was a bright reddish orange color. A couple shades darker than Nami's. However, somehow her hair was a darker shade at the roots as it turned a lighter shade towards the bottom. Her hair was slightly curly, and was down her back to her waist. She had a red orange scarf that was wrapped on top of her head holding her hair down as the rest flowed down her back.

Her eyes struck Nami as odd, and rare. They were a greenish yellow color. A very beautiful color, they were more yellow than green. Her skin color had a nice tan not to light but not dark either. She had a straight nose with a slight upward tilt, and she had perfect red full lips.

She looked at the rest of her body. She had large breasts, a tiny waist, and round hips. She was wearing an orange tank top that showed off her flat stomach, a long pleated skirt that had oranges, reds, and yellows, and golden sandals. Nami frowned and looked down at herself. She new she was a beautiful woman herself, however, this woman made her feel inferior.

The woman suddenly looked over at Nami, "Ah, a new comer!" Even her voice was sultry and exuberant. A huge sweat bead dropped down on the side of Nami's face.

"I thought I heard a second person come in as well? Did you come with someone?" she asked Nami.

"Uh…yes I did." Nami answered her as she looked towards Luffy, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a huge grin plastered to his face. Another sweat bead dropped down the side of her face. Her face took on a 'He's hopeless…' look with slightly narrowed eyes and mouth open. "I…came here with my Captain…" she said in a low voice.

The woman's eyes followed Nami's and looked a little surprised, "Your Captain? Do you two happen to be pirates?"

Nami looked at the woman a little surprised by her question. Then she looked at her suspiciously, "Yeah…that's right. Is that a problem?" she asked her.

The woman turned and smiled at her, "No, not at all!" she replied looking back towards Luffy. "He's a good looking young man!" she exclaimed smiling broader.

Nami gasped, "What?! Luffy?!" she asked aghast.

The woman only laughed, and then gave Nami a sly smile, "So, Luffy-san is his name, is it?" She then looked back at Luffy.

Nami continued to stare at this woman. 'Is she for real?!' she thought to herself.

Luffy was looking at the two women no longer grinning. He had noticed them looking toward him, like as if they were talking about him. He tilted his head to the side with a confused frown.

"Ah! He's so adorable!" she exclaimed loudly, clapping her hands together and grinning, as Luffy had made his confused gesture.

Nami's mouth was open in shock. 'This woman is obviously crazy…' she thought as she frowned. "O…kay…Anyways, my name is Nami." Nami said introducing herself.

The woman turned towards Nami quickly outstretching her hand, "Hello Nami-san! I am Mora Lionni!" Nami eyed the woman's hand. 'She sure is an odd one…' she thought before hesitantly shaking her hand. 'Just wait until Sanji got a look at her though…' she thought to herself as she narrowed her eyes.

"Come and meet the rest of the class!" Mora exclaimed excitedly as she turned in a reddish orange blur. Nami was introduced to the rest of the class, who all seemed like really nice women. She was surprised to find she was the youngest one there.

"Okay everyone! I will demonstrate for you what to do first!" Mora informed them, as she started some music. Then she began to instruct them on how to move their hips. There was a reaction from the male spectators as this started.

Luffy looked from side to side as each male gawked at the instructor with hearts in their eyes. Luffy frowned not understanding. Then Sanji came to mind, "Ah, I understand!" he said to no one in particular, as he dropped his fist into his other palm. "They were just like Sanji!" he continued.

Then the woman instructor asked her class to imitate her movements. Luffy watched as Nami mastered this easily. Then the woman instructor began to use her arms, and then her legs and feet. She twirled around a few times. There was a slight cheer from the male spectators as they ogled all of the women imitating the movements.

Luffy crossed his arms again and frowned, "They are like Sanji alright...no shame..." he said to himself as he narrowed his eyes and shook his head. He looked away from the shameless men and continued to watch his Navigator's progress. Her body began to relax and her movements were more fluid. She was getting better and better at it.

"Woohoo! Go Nami!" Luffy cheered for his Navigator's progress.

Nami made a throaty response in surprise at Luffy's outburst. She looked his way as her cheeks took on a slight blush. He grinned at her; she smiled in return then turned to continue the lessons.

All the males looked at Luffy and his goofy grin. They were surprised he wasn't ogling the other women or the beautiful instructor for that matter. His eyes were glued to his Navigator. The rest of the women didn't matter to Luffy. He was just there to support his Navigator.

After the lessons were finished, everyone began to leave. Nami approached Luffy as he stood up, "So, what did you think?" she asked curious of his answer.

"I thought you did great, Nami!" he exclaimed with his grin.

"Thanks!" she replied as she brought up her hand for a high five. Luffy brought his hand across hers, and then they both grinned at one another.

"Nami-san?" Nami turned to face Mora.

"Yes?" she questioned the now smiling woman.

"I thought your progress was magnificent for your first time! I really think you have the greatest potential among the other students." she said smiling broader at Nami.

"You really think so?!" asked Nami grinning.

"Un, that's right!" she replied excitedly while nodding at Nami. "Were you considering entering the Dance Festival?" she asked Nami.

"Actually, yes I was! That's the reason why I'm here. I would really love to learn how to dance so that I can!" Nami explained excitedly.

"I see…" said the woman while looking over at Luffy. Luffy was looking back at the woman with a blank expression.

"Hello, my name is Mora Lionni!" she finally said holding out her hand for Luffy.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meet you!" he said introducing himself and taking her hand. She didn't release Luffy's hand right away and continued to stare at him. "Are…?" Luffy questioned quietly, confused by the woman. Mora finally smiled and released his hand.

Nami was frowning at the strange woman, 'O…kay…what was that just now?' she thought to herself. "Well, thanks for the lessons." Nami said with an eyebrow raised at the woman who was still staring at Luffy.

"Of course!" she replied enthusiastically, finally looking away from Luffy to smile at Nami. "I thought maybe you might want to stay a little longer. I would like to offer you a private lesson. It would only take about an hour." Mora explained to Nami.

"Re…really?!" asked Nami excitedly grinning, no longer caring about Mora's oddness.

"Of course, I truly believe you will be the lucky one this year!" she exclaimed.

"Aha!" laughed Nami as she grinned wider and held her hands together.

"Nami…I'm hungry…" whined Luffy with a pitiful frown.

"Well you can go ahead back to the ship, Luffy. I'm going to stay here. I will come back in an hour." she told Luffy.

Luffy made a face, "Okay…" he replied as he walked to the door. Before leaving he gave Nami one last look, and then walked out.

----

When Luffy got back to the ship, it seemed everyone else was already there. "Oi, Sanji!! I'm hungry!! Give me some meat!!" he yelled into the air.

Sanji stuck his head out of the dining room, "Oh, Luffy you're back. Where's Nami-san?" he asked.

"She stayed with the dance instructor. I got hungry so I came back." Luffy explained while walking towards him and the dining area.

"Oh…" Sanji responded as he disappeared back into the dining/kitchen. Luffy walked in behind him, and then took a seat at the dining table. Franky and Usopp were also in the dining area just sitting on the couch.

"So how did Nami-san do?" asked Sanji who was now behind the counter in the kitchen.

"Yeah, we're curious." added Usopp.

"She did great! Actually the lady said Nami did so well she asked her to stay an extra hour for more lessons!" Luffy exclaimed happily while grinning.

"That's SUPA!" exclaimed Franky in his blue star pose.

"That's wonderful for Nami-san!" exclaimed Sanji while cooking. "Wait…lady?" Sanji asked looking up at Luffy, finally realizing he had said lady.

"Aa…" Luffy responded with a nod, while drool poured from his mouth at the smell of the delicious meat.

Sanji flipped the meat by tossing up the pan quickly. He tossed the meat again higher, put the pan down, and brought up a plate to catch the meat. It was all done so fast that if you blinked…you might have missed it. However, Luffy had followed every movement. Sanji walked over to table placing the large plate in front of Luffy. Luffy began to stuff his mouth before the plate was even put down onto the table. Sanji sat down on Luffy's left, and took a drag of his cigarette. He placed his hands in his pockets, leaned back, and stared at the ceiling.

"I'm happy for Nami-san. I asked around it would seem the festival is about four days long. Registration starts tomorrow morning, and there is to be a banquet tomorrow night as well for the festival. I also asked about when the log pose would set for the next island. It would seem it will set in about a week." Sanji explained to the others.

"Really?! That's great!!" Luffy exclaimed, food in his gaping mouth.

"Yeah, Nami has enough time to compete!" Usopp added happily.

"She was so excited about the festival, she forgot to check about the log pose, huh?" stated Franky.

Usopp laughed, "Well, when it comes to bellis…" That's all he needed to say. Both Luffy and Franky laughed. Sanji only smiled. They all continued to talk for about an hour before Sanji stood up.

"Where ya going, Sanji?" asked Luffy watching him as he walked towards the door.

Sanji turned toward him, "I thought I would go pick up Nami-san." he replied.

Franky scoffed as he placed a hand next to his mouth, "He just wants to get a look at this woman instructor." Both Usopp and Luffy laughed at this.

"Urusai!" yelled Sanji at Franky. "What do you know of the wonderful bliss that is woman?!" he asked while holding onto his cigarette as he took a drag.

"Obviously more than you considering…I'm older…ow…ow!" Franky stated simply with a grin and making a pose. "Have you ever even been with a woman?" asked Franky with a smirk as he brought his arms down.

"Urusai!" Sanji yelled again as he began to walk out the door not. "A gentleman never kisses and tells." he replied as the door closed.

"Only if he doesn't have a tale to tell!" yelled Franky after him. Franky, Luffy, and Usopp's laughter could be heard from outside.

Franky stopped laughing and looked over at Luffy, "And do you even know what I'm talking about?" he asked Luffy.

Luffy stopped laughing and looked over at Franky, "Are?" he questioned.

There was silence for about ten seconds, "Not a clue…" both Franky and Usopp say simultaneously while waving their hands sideways in front of their faces.

"Are…?" Luffy replied while he tilted his head to the side in confusion.

----

Sanji wanted a chance to spend some time with Nami, even if it was just a walk back to the ship. He couldn't let Luffy get all her attention. He walked down the street stopping a few times to ask for directions and to flirt with beautiful women. He finally found his way to where Nami was and stepped inside. As he walked in he stopped short.

Nami and a beautiful goddess were drinking tea. "Mellorine!!" he exclaimed with his love-love eyes as he pranced over to them.

"Sanji-kun!" Nami exclaimed surprised at Sanji's outburst.

Sanji knelt before Mora as he took a hold of her hand. With a serious look on his face he gently kissed the back of her hand, "Your beauty surpasses that of a beautiful sunset, and as you set and you display your beautiful array of colors throughout the sky, you take my breath away, Mademoiselle." Mora removed her hand from Sanji's. Nami noticed her expression was different from the one she had had for Luffy. She was sure it was almost revulsion, but then again she might have been imagining things.

Mora smiled down at Sanji, "Sanji-san, is it? Nice to meet you, I am Mora Lionni."

----

After having to practically drag Sanji out of Mora's class, they were now walking back to the ship. "So, how'd it go, Nami-swan?!" Sanji asked excitedly as he did his weird love-love walk, and love-love eyes.

"It went great! She showed me a different dance that she didn't teach the other students. She told me it was a sure win dance!" she replied excitedly, smiling.

"That's so great, Nami-swan!" he exclaimed. "I can't wait to see your dance!" he continued.

Nami narrowed her eyes at him, 'Of course you can't…' she thought to herself. They had finally reached the ship. 'Now, to tell the others how successful I was, and that I'm that much closer to my money and free stay at a luxury spa and hotel.' She grinned to herself a feline grin with bellis in her eyes.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **Ee is yes (informal). "Ee" is used by everybody. I have heard Robin use this response before.

**2: **Aha is a short little bark of laughter they do in the Japanese version when they are happy about something.

**3: **Urusai means noisy, annoying; when said to someone sharply it takes on the meaning of "shut up!" or "be quiet!" (Literally you're telling them that they're noisy; the "shut up" part is implied.)

**Author's Note: **I finally had a little more Franky interaction in this chapter. He just isn't all that necessary, but I decided to finally have him in the conversation towards the end. Not only that, I'm not all that familiar with him yet. I don't feel all that comfortable using him. I hope you all don't mind. I didn't have to many translations this time and only one explanation. I hope you all enjoyed my newest chapter! Please remember to review:D


	5. Chapter 5: Jealousy

**Author's Note: **Here is my fifth chapter! I hope you guys like it! Please review! Flames and criticism are always welcome! I learn from them. I don't have anything to say so just read and enjoy:D

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 5: Jealousy**

Nami woke early that morning and got ready to leave. Mora-sensei had told her where to go to register for the festival the day before. She wanted to get the registration out of the way so she could head back to Mora-sensei's. Mora-sensei had told her to come back the next morning for more lessons. Nami walked into the dining area. She planned on eating a quick breakfast, and then leaving before anyone woke up. However, before she could make her way to the kitchen she heard a noise from inside it. 'What the…Was someone awake already?' she thought to herself as she walked over to the counter and leaned over to get a look.

Suddenly a head popped up and almost rammed into her. She leaned back quickly avoiding the person ramming into her, "Nan da…?!" she exclaimed.

"Oh…Nami, it was just you…"

She glared at the culprit. "Luffy! What are you doing?!" she yelled at him.

"I woke up and was hungry. So, I came in here hoping to find something." he whined with a pout.

Nami relaxed and then sighed, "You really are hopeless…" she retorted quietly as she walked around the counter and then behind Luffy.

Luffy watched her as she past him and then made a surprised noise when he felt hands on the small of his back. He was being pushed out, "Na…nan da?" he asked confused as he was pushed out of the kitchen.

"I'll make us something, now go sit down." she told him as she pushed him out.

He did what he was told but with a frown, "But Nami…the fridge is locked…" he whined with another pout.

"For you maybe, but not for me!" she smiled at Luffy with the tip of her tongue poking out. "Sanji told me the combination."

"Eh?! That's not fair! You gotta tell me what it is!" he demanded.

"Hell no!! We would all starve!! The whole purpose of this lock is to keep you out!!" she yelled at him in reply. She watched as he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at her, "Hmph!" she said as she turned back towards the fridge.

She opened it and pulled out some eggs, butter, and a slab of bacon. She began to whip up some good ol' fashion bacon and eggs with a side of toast. She of course considered Luffy's enormous appetite and cooked for five instead of just two. She figured he could always eat more later when Sanji made breakfast.

"I'm no Sanji, but I can at least cook this." she said as she placed the plates in front of him. She took her seat next to Luffy and began to eat.

"Itadakimasu!" Luffy cheerfully exclaimed with a grin before digging in. Nami just smiled at her Captain while she ate. "So, Nami…Why are you up so early anyway?" Luffy asked with a mouth full of food.

Nami swallowed what she had in her mouth, "I was going to register for the contest, and then go back to Mora-sensei's for more lessons." she explained.

Luffy looked up at her from his plate, "Oh, really?! Can I come?!" he asked excitedly with a grin.

Nami swallowed her food hard, and then grabbed her throat at the slight pain, "Uh…you know it's probably better you didn't." she replied nervously.

Luffy frowned, "Aww, why not?" he asked disappointed.

"Don't you want it to be a surprise? You can see me dance when I perform at the festival." Nami laughed nervously as she said this, "Besides Mora-sensei asked me to come alone today. No one else is going to be there." she explained.

Luffy continued to frown disappointedly with a slight pout, "Come on Luffy, don't look at me that way." Luffy continued to pout.

Nami sighed, "Fine…you can come with me to register, but that's it!" she finally answered. Luffy grinned and chuckled before returning to his food. Nami couldn't help but to smile. He really was a goofball.

After they finished eating, Nami gathered up all the dirty dishes and placed them in the sink. "You ready to go?" she asked Luffy coming out of the kitchen.

"Yup!" he replied with a grin as he got up from the table and followed her to the door.

Nami stopped at the door and turned towards Luffy, putting a finger to her lips, "Shh, I don't want to wake up anyone." she said to him quietly. Luffy just grinned and flashed her a 'V' that he understood. She raised an eyebrow at him, but turned to leave anyway. They crept across the grassy deck, and began the decent down to the ground as quietly as possible.

Once they were both on the ground, Nami knew they had accomplished their goal, "Yosh! Let's go!" she exclaimed pumping a fist into the air.

"Okay!" Luffy exclaimed doing the same, and they began the walk to town.

----

They finally reached the town, and even though it was fairly early, the town was bustling. "Let's see...Mora-sensei said registration was..." Nami was tapping a finger to her lips trying to remember where the registration place was.

"Nami-san, Luffy-san! There you are!" Luffy and Nami turned to where the voice had come from. Mora was heading toward them, smile on her face as she waved at them.

She stopped in front of them. "Were you two on your way to register?" she asked them.

"Yes, that's right." replied Nami smiling.

"That's great! I thought I would come with you and show you the way!" Mora exclaimed as she smiled warmly at them.

"Ah, thank you. I was just trying to remember where it was." Nami replied gratefully. Mora continued to smile as she began leading the way, Luffy and Nami following behind her. They walked about the town for about ten minutes, turning corner after corner before finally coming up to a circular, light blue building that had huge white marble columns in front.

"Here we are!" Mora exclaimed excitedly before heading inside. Nami and Luffy stared at the building for awhile before following her. They approached a tall, skinny looking man behind one of the desks. He looked almost bird like to Nami. He had long black hair that was slick back, small beady black eyes, a hooked nose, and thin lips. He had an extremely serious expression, as if he lacked any kind of emotion. He wore a black suit with a crisp white shirt and a black tie. He watched them approach, hands steepled together.

Mora nodded to the man, "Good morning, Senshu-san!" she greeted warmly.

The man eyed Mora then nodded in return, "Good morning, Mora-sama." he greeted in return. The man's deep voice was a little disturbing to Nami. She involuntarily inched closer to Luffy. Luffy made a surprised noise at Nami's movement and looked toward her confused. The man looked over at Luffy and Nami, "Is this the pair you have been talking about? Have they come to register?" he said in a deep drawl. Nami and Luffy both made a noise and looked at the man in surprise. He continued to eye them from head to toe, "They indeed make a handsome pair." he continued in his drawl.

'Nani?! A pair?!' yelled Nami to herself.

"Ah, don't they?!" Mora exclaimed as she beamed at the two. "I knew they made the perfect pair the moment they set foot in my class!" she continued still beaming.

Sweat began to bead down Nami's face. 'What the hell are they talking about?! What's going on?!' Nami was a little worried, but soon that worry was replaced by determination. 'I'm not about to lose out on this money and free stay at a luxury spa and hotel!' she declared to herself.

"Ah, that's right!" she was saying as she stepped closer to Luffy and put a hand on his shoulder, "So where do we sign up?!" she exclaimed with a nervous smile and sweat beading down her face. Luffy looked over at Nami as she had place her hand on his shoulder, face still expressionless.

Nami hoped that their earlier surprise and her nervousness weren't too obvious. She was also glad Luffy was keeping his mouth shut. He was only looking at her with a blank expression. She wondered why Mora-sensei hadn't bothered to tell her she would need a partner. Maybe she figured she knew already, or was supposed to know rather. 'I guess I should have read the whole poster...' she thought. 'But that doesn't matter anymore! What matters is my money and free stay at a luxury spa and hotel!' she vehemently reminded herself. If she needed a partner to get it then so be it.

"Right here." Senshu drawled as he pulled out a piece of paper and faced it towards them. The paper had a ton of writing on it, which Nami overlooked, not really caring. It was probably just rules and red tape that she just didn't care for. He set down a feathered pen and ink bottle next to the sheet of paper. "Just sign your names here." he drawled, as he pointed to two lines on the paper for signatures. Nami grabbed the pen, dipped it, and signed her name without a second thought. When she was done she turned towards Luffy to hand him the pen. He stared at the pen for awhile face still expressionless before finally looking up at Nami.

Nami started to get worried, "Luffy?..." she questioned him with a forced smile.

"Ah, cold feet, Luffy-san?" teased Mora.

He stared awhile longer at Nami then finally spoke, "I don't know how to dance." he stated simply, face still expressionless. Nami almost fell over.

Mora burst out laughing, "Don't worry Luffy-san, I will teach you how." she encouraged him still laughing. Luffy just shrugged, finally moving to take the pen from Nami and signed his name. Nami sighed a deep sigh of relief.

After saying their good-byes to Senshu they all walked outside. "Are you ready for today's lesson, Nami-san?!" Mora asked with excitement in her voice and a smile on her beautiful face.

"Yes I am, Mora-sensei!" Nami replied with just as much excitement and a grin on her face.

"Hmm...I wanted to go." Luffy stated with a stubborn frown.

Mora smiled and giggled at Luffy as she waved a finger at him, "The partner is not allowed to see the dance until the festival." she replied with a smile.

Luffy made a confused face, "You will only be away from Nami-san for a few hours." she assured him while giggling again.

"Are?" questioned Luffy as he tilted his head in confusion. Nami made a face at him to keep his mouth shut. He straightened up looking at Nami, face expressionless.

"Come, Nami-san! The classroom awaits!" Mora exclaimed with a smile as she lifted her arm to guide the way. Nami gave Luffy an apologetic expression before turning to leave with Mora. Luffy stood in the road and watched them until they disappeared into the crowd. Once they were gone he stuck his hands in his pockets, and turned to make his way back to the ship.

As Luffy approached the ship, amazed he even found his way, he could smell the scent of Sanji's cooking. "Aha!" he laughed as he quickly made the climb up.

----

That morning when everyone woke up, they all noticed that Luffy and Nami were missing. They were all in the dining area sitting at the table waiting for Sanji to finish up with breakfast.

"I wonder where they went so early in the morning?" asked Usopp confused.

"I can understand Nami-san needing to go somewhere early, but where did that, Ahou Luffy go?" Sanji asked annoyed.

"Yeah, Luffy never misses a meal." added Usopp.

"Maybe they went somewhere together…" suggested Zoro not really caring but decided to enter in the conversation.

"Impossible! Why would they need to go anywhere together?! Nami-san doesn't need Luffy for anything!" retorted Sanji with annoyance at the revolting prospect. He just refused to believe they were together. He was getting irritated at how much time they were spending together. As he walked over to a cabinet to grab some plates, he noticed the dirty dishes in the sink. "Nani?!" he almost yelled.

Everyone looked over at him. "What is it?" asked Usopp curious.

There were five plates and two pans. Then he looked over at his fridge. The lock had been in place when he came in this morning, and it sure as hell wasn't Luffy who opened it. 'So Luffy hadn't missed breakfast after all, and he hadn't cooked it, that's for sure. Then, they were together…' Sanji grit his teeth.

"Cook-san?" Robin questioned while everyone had their eyes on him.

"I think they did go somewhere together…" he mumbled.

"Huh?! How can you tell?" asked Usopp.

Zoro only smirked. Anything that irritated the cook made Zoro smile.

"There are dirty dishes in the sink, too many for just Nami-san…" he replied still quiet and very much irritated.

"How did they get into the fridge?" asked Chopper.

Zoro closed his eyes, smirk still in place and snickered. Everyone looked towards him. "You told Nami the combination, right? So, then they are together." he stated.

"This doesn't make any sense! Why would Nami-san take that Ahou?! Where did they go?!" fumed Sanji.

"I wonder…" replied Robin quietly with a knowing smile.

Everyone was silent as if pondering this oddity to themselves. Then they could hear loud footsteps running across the grassy deck, and then running up the stairs getting closer to where they were. Suddenly one of the ones in question came bursting through the door loudly, "Sanji, meshi!!!" yelled Luffy into the air.

Everyone turned and stared at Luffy. He stared back, "Are?" he questioned as they continued to stare at him.

"Where's Nami-san?" questioned Sanji slightly annoyed, finally breaking the silence.

"Ah, she went to Mora's!" he replied as he went to take his seat at the table. Everyone was still watching him.

"And where were you?" asked Zoro with a slight smirk.

"I went with Nami to register for the festival." he replied and then began to drool at the delicious smell of the food. Even though he had eaten not to long ago he was hungry again. Sanji grit his teeth but, kept his attention on the food.

"Did you get hungry again and come back?" asked Chopper.

Luffy made a pouty frown, "No…Mora said I wasn't allowed to see Nami's dance until the festival." he said in a slight whine.

"Huh? Why not?" asked Usopp curious.

Luffy just shrugged, "Don't know…" he replied lazily with drooped eyes.

By now Sanji had finished with breakfast and was bringing it to the table, "I find this all a little odd." Everyone looked at Sanji and nodded. Luffy was only staring at the food and began to dig in before the plate hit the table. "Why aren't we allowed to see Nami-san's dance before the festival?" Sanji continued quietly.

----

After the lessons Nami was exhausted. She was now walking back to the ship. Nami was covered in sweat, which she could smell on her body. 'A shower sounds wonderful right about now…' she thought to herself, with a sigh. She had been with Mora-sensei for three hours. She was also ravished. 'I hope Sanji-kun will be making lunch soon.' she thought as she continued on her way.

She finally approached the ship and climbed aboard. It seemed everyone was on deck. Sanji was standing near Robin, who was sitting in her usual chair reading a book. Zoro was slouched against the rail asleep (as always). Luffy, Franky, Usopp, and Chopper were huddled together playing cards.

"Nami-swaaan!" called Sanji as he leapt towards her. "How did it go, Nami-swaan?!" he asked with his love-love eyes.

"Ah, it went fine!" she replied smiling. Everyone was looking at her now.

"So, why is it we can't see your dance before the festival, Nami-san?" Sanji asked with a slight frown.

"Huh?" Nami asked confused by his question.

"Luffy said we couldn't see your dance…" explained Sanji confused at her reaction.

Nami looked over at Luffy, who was looking at Sanji with a blank expression, "I never said you couldn't." stated Luffy simply.

Sanji quickly turned toward Luffy, "Nani?! Yes you did!" Sanji yelled at him, as if Luffy were calling him a liar.

Luffy shook his head, "No, I said that _I_ wasn't allowed to see it." he stated simply again, while pointing to himself and emphasizing the word I.

"You?! Why only you?!" Sanji asked him seriously annoyed. Luffy only stared at Sanji with his blank expression.

Nami still had her eyes on Luffy, "Luffy, you didn't tell them?" Everyone looked at Nami now, including Sanji and Luffy.

Luffy looked at Nami confused, "Tell them what?" he asked titling his head and raising an eyebrow. Everyone looked at Luffy now. Nami sighed and glared at him, 'Geez, he really was hopeless…' she thought to herself.

Usopp looked towards Nami, "Tell us what, Nami?" he asked becoming curious as to what Luffy was supposedly supposed to tell them.

Nami sighed a second time and closed her eyes, and then she opened them, "Well, it seems Luffy and I got cornered into registering for the Dance Festival together. You see the third dance is to be a couple's dance. I found him in the kitchen this morning, and he asked to come so I agreed. However, when we went to register, they assumed he was my partner." Nami explained.

"Eeeeeeeeeh?!" everyone yelled in unison, except for Robin, who only looked on in interest.

Luffy dropped his fist into his palm, "Oh yeah, that!" he exclaimed with a laugh and his grin.

"And you didn't bother telling us this?!" yelled Sanji at him angrily.

Luffy pursed his lips with a frown at Sanji for yelling at him, "I forgot…" he replied with the frown and pursed lips.

"How could you possibly forget something like that?!" yelled Sanji again. Luffy just continued making the face at Sanji.

"Luffy? Dancing? Sounds interesting…" stated Zoro with a huge smirk on his face.

"How is that interesting?! Ahh…and to think if I had woken up earlier, it could have been me who was forced to partner up with Nami-san…" Sanji stated dramatically, with a hand to his chest.

"Uh…actually…" Nami began with a nervous smile, "Since Luffy came with me that first time, Mora assumed he would be my partner anyways…" she laughed nervously.

"Nan da tou?!" yelled Sanji angry again. Sanji grit his teeth. He had been about to ask to go with Nami that day, but that bastard Luffy had spoken up first.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower. Luffy that banquet is tonight. We are going to have to go into town and find something nice for you to wear. So be ready to go when I get out." she said to Luffy and then walked towards the cabin.

"Okay!" replied Luffy as he watched her go. Then he turned back to his cards.

"Cho…chotto matte, Nami-san! Only the two of you are going?" asked Sanji looking pathetic.

"I'm afraid so Sanji-kun. It's for contestant's only." she replied with a frown.

Then she turned walked up the stairs to the observation deck level, and disappeared inside. Sanji had watched her disappear into the Observation Room. By now he was furious with Luffy. 'How is it that Luffy and Nami seem to end up together more and more lately, and now they were partnered for the Dance Festival?! It's all that bastard's fault!' he seethed to himself as he turned toward Luffy.

"This is all your fault!" he seethed at Luffy as he stomped over to him. He grabbed him by the vest and lifted him off the deck.

"Nan da?!" Luffy exclaimed, as Sanji brought him up to face him.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing, Love-cook!" Zoro yelled at him as he grabbed for his sword.

"Matte!" yelled Luffy to Zoro without looking at him. Luffy had a serious look on his face as he looked Sanji in the eyes, and then grabbed his arm in a tight grip. There wasn't a hint of humor in his expression. Sanji grit his teeth against the pain Luffy was causing him.

"It seems I've found myself in this position more than once over the past few days." Luffy spoke in a low and threatening voice. His grip tightened on Sanji if that were possible. Sanji now made a noise at the pain Luffy was causing him.

"Want to talk about it?" asked Luffy in a deadly voice. Sweat beaded down Sanji's face from the pain. Everyone was looking on nervously at the two, except Zoro and Robin who only looked on with interest.

"Che!" Sanji cursed and released his hold on Luffy's vest. In that same instant Luffy released his hold on Sanji. Sanji grabbed a hold of the cigarette he still had in his mouth, he took a long drag, and then blew the smoke out into Luffy's face.

"Not really…" he replied in a low and cold voice. Luffy glared at Sanji, the smoke having not even bothered him. Sanji turned his back on Luffy and disappeared into the kitchen. Everyone let out the breath they had not even realized they had been holding.

Luffy sat back down and began to gather up the scattered cards that were dropped when Sanji had grabbed a hold of him. "Shall we play another hand?" he asked the guys, eyes concealed under his hat.

"A…aa…" they replied nervously. At that Luffy lifted his head and grinned at them.

----

Fifteen minutes later they could smell a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. Five more minutes later and Nami emerged from the Observation Room. "Ah, much better!" she exclaimed arms in the air. "Ah, and that smells exquisite, I'm starving!!" she continued in the same manner.

As if reading her mind, Sanji came out of the kitchen, "Lunch is ready…" he announced before disappearing back inside. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper ran inside the dining area, while everyone else walked. Everyone took their seats and waited for Sanji to serve the food. For some reason, it wasn't already there waiting for them.

Sanji began to place individual plates in front of everyone. He came to Luffy last. Everyone watched as he placed a plate in front of Luffy. There was only a small loaf of bread on it. Then he dropped a cup of water next to it, water splashing everywhere. Luffy was looking down at the plate, eyes concealed under his hat.

"Oi…" remarked Zoro quietly as he glared at Sanji.

"Sanji-kun! What are you doing?!" asked Nami appalled. Sanji only gave a malicious grin down at Luffy. Suddenly, Luffy slammed his hands onto the table causing the table to shake as the dishes clanked noisily, and he stood up quickly.

"Oi, Lu…Luffy!" cried Nami nervously, as she stood up. "Maybe we should just go shopping now, okay?" she suggested nervously. She walked over to him and began to push him out the door. Luffy's eyes remained concealed under his hat, as he allowed her to push him out.

As they past Sanji, Nami looked up at him fury on her face, "What is the matter with you?!" she seethed quietly in his face, before continuing to push Luffy outside.

Sanji had made a throaty response in surprise at Nami's tongue-lashing. He grit his teeth as he watched them leave and disappear through the door. Once it closed behind them, he turned towards the others. They were all frowning at him, Zoro openly glaring. Robin only had a look of interest on her beautiful face. "Che!" he cursed as he turned back towards the kitchen.

----

"What was that all about?!" asked Nami out loud rhetorically. She honestly didn't expect Luffy to answer. She was extremely agitated at what just happened. "What in the world is wrong with him anyways?!" she continued her ranting. Luffy was only walking beside her with his eyes still concealed under his hat.

She looked over at him and her irritation fled her.

She sighed, "I guess he was just jealous, but…even so, that was a little much…What happened while I was in the shower?" she asked while she remained looking towards him. Luffy stayed silent for a long while. She was beginning to doubt he would answer her. 'Something must have happened, and getting any information out of Luffy is nearly impossible.' she thought to herself.

Finally he spoke up, "We had a little talk, is all…" he said quietly without looking up. Nami frowned at his vague answer.

She sighed a second time and closed her eyes. There was no use making him elaborate. 'I can always ask one of the others later anyways.' she thought, and then she opened her eyes, "Ne, how about we get something to eat before we go shopping? I'm starving and I know you must be too." she said with a smile as she looked at him.

Luffy finally lifted his head to look at her. He only had a small smile on his lips, "Aa…" he replied with a nod.

----

Nami treated Luffy to a huge meal, allowing him to eat as much as he wanted. After she was done she watched him eat. She felt herself become irritated again. 'How could Sanji be so cruel to Luffy?' she thought as she clenched her teeth and furrowed her brows. Luffy didn't deserve such treatment. Especially after all he had done for them and for Sanji. Even if he was jealous…'Although…I've never experienced jealousy before… but still, there's no way I could do anything like that to Luffy or to anyone else for that matter…' she thought to herself.

Nami furrowed her brows deeper. 'Even so, who did Sanji think he was? He has no right to be jealous! He has no right taking claim on me!' she thought to herself. She had to get back at Sanji somehow for what he did to Luffy. She knew if she left it in Luffy's hands, they might get into a fight. She really didn't want that. She had to show Sanji herself that he was wrong in what he did. She wasn't really sure how she was going to do it though. 'That's okay, I will figure something out.' she thought as she smiled.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **Itadakimasu: It's a manners thing. It means roughly "I'm receiving/appreciating this food".

**2: **Sensei means different things. It could mean teacher, doctor, or instructor. (But I'm sure you knew this already. Just being cautious. O.o)

**3: **Yosh means "all right", "let's go", "let's do it!", etc.

**4: **Nan da tou is an extreme version of "what", sort of like "WHAT?!" I have heard them use it for like "What did you say?!" as well. (Until I actually learn Japanese, I can't tell ya for sure. I just go by the subtitles or this website I go to that has the exact translations. If ya wanna know these site, just ask.)

**Author's Note: **I know some of you are totally hating me right now and that's okay, lol. I just don't see Sanji as the type to sit on his hands and do nothing. He was jealous and upset. Food is kind of the only thing he can use against Luffy for revenge. When someone is jealous, they do stupid things they regret later. So bear with me, okay?  To be honest, I feel I am giving Sanji more respect by making it to where he doesn't wimp out and do nothing and accept this. I see him as a man and would do anything for someone he feels he could be losing, even if he makes dumb choices. I love Sanji. I love all the Strawhat crew. So don't get me wrong. I just don't think he is right for Nami. I also just don't want to see him sit and accept this. I know I did it in Luffy Gets What Luffy Wants, but that was because it was supposed to be a humorous one shot. Anyways, I hope you can all forgive me and I also hope maybe I'm wrong and you all like my chapter. Anyways, please review and let me know what you thought:D


	6. Chapter 6: Unknown Feelings

**Author's Note: **I have some bad news for you guys. This is the last chapter I will be posting for a long while. So, think of it as a season finale. :P I'm working on a second story right now, so I don't have time to type out both. It's a shorter story and I'm about half way through it already. Once I've finished with that one, I will continue with this one. I know you are all going to be disappointed that you have to wait for more of this story, and I'm sorry! Q.Q I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Sorry I know, the title sucks, I couldn't think of a good one for this one. :P Please review! Criticism and flames are welcome! I need them! So, until next time! Enjoy this chapter:D

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 6: Unknown Feelings**

After they finished eating, Nami paid the bill, and they left the restaurant to do their shopping. Luffy was rubbing his belly," Arigato, Nami! That was great!" he exclaimed grinning. It seemed he had returned to his normal self.

"No problem, Luffy. I couldn't just let you starve." she replied with a smile. Luffy just chuckled and grinned. "Well, let's see if we can find the kind of shop we need." she said as she began looking through all the windows looking for what they needed.

She kept walking from shop window to shop window, Luffy following along behind her. She finally approached a window and grinned, "Aha!" she exclaimed as she began to walk inside with Luffy behind her.

"Bingo!" she declared as she looked at all the dress shirts and slacks. She walked to the nearest clothes rack and began sifting through shirts. She began pulling some out to get a better look and putting them back one after another.

Luffy looked over the shirts she was looking at and scrunched up his face. He didn't like any of them. He looked over at the rack and began sifting through them himself. One of the shirts caught his attention. He pulled it out to get a better look. It was a red, long sleeve, silk button up shirt, which had threaded stripes of the same red color. It felt very soft against his hands. "What about this one?" he asked Nami facing her.

"Huh?" Nami questioned as she looked over towards him. She put the shirts she had been examining back on the clothes rack and walked over to Luffy. She looked over the shirt he held up for her, "That's a really nice shirt, Luffy. Alright, this one will do. Now for some black slacks!" she said as she turned toward a rack with slacks on it, Luffy following her to it.

She pulled one out and examined it. She turned and walked towards Luffy, "Let's see…I think this is about your size." she said thoughtfully as she brought them up to his waist. Luffy looked down at her as she did this. "Un, these look about right. Why don't you go try on that shirt and these slacks, while I go look for some shoes, okay?" She handed him the pants walked around behind him and gentle began to push him towards the dressing room.

Luffy made a noise at being pushed but allowed her to push him. As they reached the dressing area, she reached up and grabbed his hat then gently shoved him towards the dressing room. Luffy made a throaty noise at being pushed and slightly turned to her, "Make sure you come out so I can see, okay? I want to make sure it looks alright." she said as she placed the treasured hat onto her head. Luffy grinned and nodded as he walked into the dressing room. Nami smiled as she turned to pick out some shoes for Luffy.

----

Luffy undressed himself, and then put on the slacks and shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror, after he finished buttoning up the shirt. The clothes reminded him of Sanji. He frowned at himself in the mirror. The only difference was he didn't have the shirt tucked in. He was still irritated about what had happened between Sanji and him back on the ship. Since the clothes reminded him of Sanji, he refused to tuck his shirt in, as a small defiance. Barefoot, he walked out to find Nami. He found her next to the shoes, as she was looking at a pair of black dress shoes. "Nami…" he called quietly, unsure of the clothes he wore.

Nami turned around and looked up at having heard Luffy call her name. The sight she saw rendered her speechless. Her mouth parted slightly, as her eyes grew large in surprise. The red shirt hugged Luffy's body perfectly. He didn't have the shirt tucked in, but for some reason it matched his personality, loose and carefree.

Somehow, Luffy made the untucked shirt look good…really good. Nami shook her head and laughed nervously. 'What the hell was I thinking just now?!' she yelled to herself in her mind.

Luffy frowned and looked down at himself taking Nami's reaction as bad. "I look stupid…" he remarked quietly with a deep frown.

"Luffy, no you don't!" she replied quickly, realizing her mistake of laughing. "I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. Luffy those clothes look really good on you." she complimented him as she walked up to him. He looked at her with an 'I don't believe you' expression. He had his mouth tilted up on one side, an eyebrow raised, and a deep frown on his scarred face.

Nami circled around him to get a better look. Luffy watched her as she circled him. Even the slacks looked really good on him. She had chosen the right size. As she reached back around to his front she was smiling to herself. "Ahem!" she cleared her throat to hide the smile, which she realized she had from inspecting Luffy. She nodded to herself. "These clothes look great, Luffy." she reassured him with a forced serious expression.

He still wore his 'I don't believe you' expression, only his eyebrow rose up further. Her mouth quirked on one side, as she tried to keep from giggling at his facial expression, "Oh, come on, Luffy. Don't you believe me? I wouldn't lie to you." she smiled innocently at him while batting her lashes. She was enjoying teasing him. He narrowed his eyes at her.

She laughed at his reaction, 'He really was too cute sometimes.' Nami nearly gasped at that thought. She was immediately serious, "Okay, seriously, those clothes look just fine on you." she snapped at him as she turned her back on him to look back at the shoes. 'What the hell is wrong with me?!' she practically screamed at herself.

As she turned toward the shoes, she grabbed a pair she was sure was his size, turned back around, and shoved them into his chest. He grunted as he lifted his arms to grab them and looked at Nami with a frown. "Here try on these shoes. I think they're your size." she said no longer smiling. She turned back around to look at some belts.

Nami's mood had suddenly changed for the worse. Luffy's frown deepened as he turned to put the shoes on. Frown still in place, he sat down and began to put the shoes on. Once he finished putting them on, he stood up and tapped the toes of the shoes on the floor.

Nami heard the tapping and turned around to look at him. The shoes matched the rest of the attire perfectly. Nami had never seen Luffy dressed like this before. Without his hat and dressed the way he was, he looked…really good. Suddenly, Nami found it very hard to breath, and was it just her or had it gotten warmer in the store? She looked around wondering this.

"Nami, are you okay?" Luffy asked her looking concerned.

"I'm fine." she was barely able to speak since she was having trouble breathing. It had come out in more of a whisper. Her chest felt tight, so she put a hand to it.

"Nami?" asked Luffy more concerned. He walked up to her putting a hand on her arm. His touch was almost unbearable, as if he burned her.

She quickly moved away from him, "I said I was fine!" she snapped while taking a deep breath. 'What the hell is wrong with me?!' she repeated to herself. Luffy was still looking at her with concern, but he didn't touch her again.

She took a few more deep breaths before she spoke again, "Those clothes are just fine. We'll get those." she said not looking him in the eyes. Still frowning, Luffy only nodded before heading back to the dressing room. Nami turned, snatched a belt Luffy's size, and then stormed towards the cashier to get ready to pay.

----

Nami had paid for Luffy's clothes, shoes, and belt. Now they were outside, and Nami was looking for a shop for her. She had no idea what had come over her in the shop. 'Maybe I'm coming down with something?' she thought to herself as she scrunched up her nose. She should probably ask Chopper later.

Luffy looked over at Nami. Her foul mood had not changed. She was still wearing his treasure, but he dared not take it back. He didn't think she even realized she still wore it.

Nami stopped at a shop window and looked inside. Luffy followed along slowly. She nodded with a serious expression, and then walked inside. Luffy scratched his head as he followed her inside. She walked up to a rack full of dresses and began to tear through them, almost violently. Luffy watched her with a lopsided frown in confusion. He looked over and spotted a chair. He walked over to it and sat down, laying his clothes across his lap. He watched as she pulled dress after dress out and then shoved them back in not satisfied with their appearance.

He turned away from Nami and looked at a near by clothes rack with dresses hanging from it. Something caught his eye. He got up from the chair, laying his clothes across it, and then walked over to the rack. He separated the dresses and eyed the one dress that had caught his eye. He reached in, grabbed it to hold it up, and then smiled.

"Nami, what about this one?" he asked turning towards her.

Nami whirled around to face him with an annoyed expression, "What, now you're picking out my clothes too?!" she snapped at him. Then she looked toward the dress he held ignoring his surprised face at her having snapped at him.

Her face relaxed as she walked over to him and took the dress from him. She held it up to get a better look. It was a black strapless, slender dress. It came down a little past the knee, and had a slit on both sides to about mid-thigh. What caught her eye the most was the attached silk cloth belted middle. It was red, the same color as Luffy's dress shirt. The dress was just her style, and it even had red in it to match Luffy's shirt.

Nami smiled to herself and walked off to get some matching shoes. She found some open toed heeled shoes that laced up the leg. She also found a simple black chained necklace with a red gemmed rose on it, and matching earrings. She headed over to the dressing room to try on the dress.

"Ah, Nami!" called Luffy. She stopped and turned toward him. He walked up to her and gentle removed his hat from her head. She made a surprised noise and put a hand to her head. She hadn't even realized she still had it on. He put his hat on, and then grinned at her. She smiled back before turning back to the dressing room.

She removed her clothes and then slid into the black dress. She put the shoes on and then the jewelry. When she was done she examined herself in the mirror. It fit her every curve. It had a v-neck that showed her ample bust. Luffy had happened to grab her size. She decided she might as well get an opinion from Luffy since he chose the dress. She walked out of the dressing room and toward the chair Luffy was sitting in.

He was leaning his head and arms back behind the chair, and was staring at the ceiling. She smiled as she walked up to him. He must have seen her in his peripheral vision, because he quickly sat up to look at her.

Nami found herself blushing at his gaze. "Well, what do you think?" she asked nervously as she looked down at herself.

"You look great, Nami!" he replied with his usual grin.

'That's it?' she asked herself slightly frowning at him. 'Maybe he's just used to how I dress?' she thought. He was now just smiling at her. She pursed her lips as she turned back to the dressing room in disappointment.

Luffy let out the breath he was holding as sweat beaded down his face. He made a pained expression before relaxing his face. "Phew…" he huffed. "She looked really good in that dress, but I can't let her know that. She might get mad or something. She hits too hard…" he whispered to himself.

Nami began to redress herself once she was in the dressing room. 'Honestly, any reaction would have been nice.' she thought to herself annoyed. If she didn't already know better, she might have thought Luffy had no interest in the opposite sex. His reactions to having seen her nude a few times was proof that he was most definitely aware of the opposite sex. Even so, he was good at not showing certain emotions, or maybe he was just used to how she dressed.

Once she was done changing, she walked out and approached Luffy. Luffy watched her approach a blank expression on his face. "Ready to go?" she asked him.

"Haai!" he replied with a grin.

"Alright, let me just pay for these." she said as she walked over to the obasan behind the counter.

After she paid they walked out of the shop carrying their clothes and began the walk back to the ship.

"The banquet's in two hours. So, when we get back to the ship, we should get ready. I wanted to get there a little early." she explained to him.

"Okay!" he replied with his grin.

They made their way back to the ship and made the climb aboard.

"Nami-swaaan! How did your shopping go, Nami-swan?!" asked Sanji with his love-love eyes as he pranced to her.

Nami closed her eyes and kept walking, "Luffy make sure you take a shower before changing into those clothes, okay?" she ordered, nose in air.

Luffy pursed his lips at her back, "Haai…" he replied in a 'Do I have to?' manner. They both kept walking towards their destinations, completely ignoring the surprised cook. Their ignoring the cook had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the crew. They both disappeared inside their designated areas of the ship, leaving Sanji fuming.

Zoro snickered before closing his eyes. "You say something, Baka Marimo?!" yelled Sanji as he turned to face him.

"Nope." he replied with a smirk.

Sanji grit his teeth before plopping down next to Robin, who was watching him with interest.

----

Luffy removed his clothes, folded them, and then placed them in the basket. He turned the shower on, and then stepped under it. As the water ran down his body soaking him, head bowed, he began to think about Sanji. Both he and Nami had completely ignored him when they had gotten back. Luffy was still very much irritated with Sanji's behavior at breakfast. He focused on the water that trickled down and off the tip of his nose. He hadn't meant to make Sanji angry with him. However, he couldn't ignore his behavior either. Luffy was fine the first time Sanji lashed out at him, even the second time. After all it was a misunderstanding, but the third time Luffy could no longer allow it to slide. He had given Sanji two chances, the third was too much. He sighed to himself, and then he continued with his shower.

----

Nami sat at the vanity in the women's quarters. Sanji had acted as if nothing had happened that morning, when they had come back from shopping. 'What made him think that she had been okay with what he had done to Luffy?' she seethed to herself. She definitely needed to do something. She smiled maliciously to herself as she remembered that Luffy had ignored him too, or at least that he had pretended Sanji had never talked. 'So then he was still mad at Sanji too.' she thought to herself. 'What had happened while she was in the shower?' she thought as she furrowed her brows. Sanji must have made a scene after she had gone to take a shower. 'Had Luffy finally confronted Sanji? Or was Sanji just jealous about them having been paired for the last dance of the festival?' she wondered. She needed to find out. 'Maybe I can ask Usopp.' she thought as she got up from the vanity.

She walked to the door and opened it. She leaned over the rail and looked down. She spotted Usopp huddled with Chopper and his new invention. She noticed Sanji was no longer on deck. He must be in the kitchen.

Nami looked back towards Usopp, "Usopp." she called loud enough for him to hear. Usopp looked up and towards her as well as everyone else on deck. She crooked her finger at him, beckoning him. He raised an eyebrow at her, but obeyed as he got up and walked toward her. He climbed the stairs, and approached her. She turned and walked back inside, Usopp following her.

He slightly closed the door leaving it ajar, and turned toward her. Nami turned to face him. "What happened early while I was in the shower?" she asked him bluntly. Usopp made a noise and looked at her in surprise at her question. His face took on a more serious look. He should have expected this. He closed his eyes as he began to recap the events from earlier to Nami.

Nami ground her teeth, "I see…" she said. Usopp had told her everything that had happened since the moment the door had closed behind her. She clamped her jaw down tight in anger when she thought about how Sanji had blown smoke into Luffy's face. Usopp had explained that the first time Sanji had grabbed a hold of Luffy's vest was when she had lashed out at him about the drink. She remembered hearing Sanji yell at him, however she had not seen that he had grabbed his vest, and had shoved Luffy.

She had witnessed the second time, when they had explained about having a talk in the crow's nest late that one night. So, after the third offense, Luffy had finally confronted Sanji, and because of that Sanji had retaliated. "How cruel!" she seethed in anger. "How dare Sanji do things like that to Luffy!" she continued. Usopp nodded in agreement.

"I have to do something about this! That kind of behavior can't be tolerated!" she said in anger.

"Oi, Nami! What are you going to do?!" asked Usopp getting worried.

"Jealousy, huh?" she said quietly with a malicious smile. "I'll give him something to be jealous about!" she seethed.

"Oi, Nami! Cho…chotto matte! Do you really think that's a good idea?! You might make things worse!" Usopp protested in worry.

"Look, I understand Sanji has a love for women, and I know how he treats Robin and me! However, that does NOT mean he has any claim on me! I will show him where he went wrong. He has absolutely no right to be jealous!" she ranted to Usopp.

Usopp looked a little surprise by her outburst, and then he furrowed his brows. "I guess you're right, but Nami, I don't think making him more jealous is such a good idea. I know I can't stop you, just be careful, okay? I really don't think you should do what I think you're planning to do. It could turn out really bad. Also…" Usopp paused. "Be careful with Luffy…" he warned. Nami made a throaty noise in surprise as her eyes grew large at his warning. Usopp didn't give her a chance to ask what he had meant by that. He turned and walked out of the cabin, closing the door behind him.

Nami frowned, but then shrugged it off as she turned to go back to her room. She didn't have time to wonder about what he meant. She needed to get ready for the banquet.

----

Usopp walked out of the cabin worried with a hand to his chin. He began the walked downstairs, and then stopped once he set foot on the grassy deck. He was pretty sure he knew what she was planning. She was probably going to make Sanji's jealousy worse, and she was going to use Luffy to do it. He knew he couldn't stop her, but he could at least warn her. He didn't think Luffy thought that way, but…what if he did? Nami could unknowingly hurt their Captain. Also if she flirted with other guys to get back at Sanji, she could also hurt Luffy. 'But was Luffy capable of…' Usopp stopped his train of thought as he could feel someone watching him. He looked up from his troubled state.

Everyone had their eyes on him, "Nani?" he asked confused.

"What did Nami want?" asked Zoro.

"Oh, she just wanted to know about what had happened when she was in the shower earlier." he explained to them.

"You looked worried when you came out. Are you okay?" asked Chopper looking worried for his friend.

Usopp made a noise in slight frustration, then he smiled, "Aa, I'm okay!" he reassured the little reindeer as sweat beaded down his face. Usopp thought it best not to say anything about what Nami was planning. He didn't want to make things worse or complicated. He walked back over to his invention and continued working on it.

----

Nami looked at herself in the mirror. She made a sexy pose and then giggled to herself as she stuck the tip of her tongue out. She had twisted her hair up in a half bun with a silver hair clip. A strand of her hair was hanging loosely down the side of her face. The dress fit her like a glove, and the shoes looked great on her, 'Wow, I look great!' she complimented herself.

She was a little nervous about going to the banquet alone with Luffy. She wasn't sure why, considering she had eaten alone with Luffy at lunch today. However, she had not been nervous then. 'Maybe it's because it's a formal dinner, and we will both be dressed up.' she thought to herself. Mora had told her that it would be a candle lit dinner and that there would be roses everywhere. There was also to be music, however no dancing. There would be plenty of that at the festival. She had to admit it to herself, seeing Luffy dressed up again made her really nervous. He had looked really nice. Nami sighed, 'The banquet will be starting soon.' she thought to herself. She had wanted to get there early to get a look at everything and the competition.

Nami walked out of the women's quarters and made her way down the spiral stairs and on to the deck. As Nami walked down the stairs, everyone turned toward her. She noticed Sanji was back on deck. Zoro smirked and then made a high pitched whistle at her, as she made her way down. She grinned once she stepped on deck, "Oh stop it!" she said with a wink. Zoro snickered. She knew Zoro was just trying to piss Sanji off, and she obliged him. She noticed Sanji glaring at Zoro from the corner of her eye, but she dared not look at him.

She walked further out on deck away from the stairs. "You look Supa, Nami-onesan!" Franky declared in his star pose.

"Arigato!" she said smiling at him. Suddenly they could hear the cabin door to the men's quarters being opened. Nami's heart skipped a beat as she turned towards it. She put a hand to her chest in an automatic response. The person behind it seemed to be hesitant about coming out. Nami smiled, "Come on out, Luffy! I told you that you look just fine in those clothes!" she called to him. Finally the door opened further as Luffy tentatively stepped out.

Everyone's, except for Robin and Nami's, jaw dropped to the deck. Nami's lips parted a bit as she looked at him. She still wasn't used to his being dressed like that. Robin's mouth had also slightly parted in surprise as she had laid eyes on him. No one had ever seen Luffy dressed like this before.

Zoro let out another high pitched whistle, only this time it was longer. If everyone hadn't been so shocked and speechless they might have found it as comical as it really was. Luffy looked completely unsure of himself. He looked like cornered animal to Nami.

She smiled at her Captain as she walked up to him. She grabbed a hold of his arm placing her arm through his. "I told you that you look just fine, didn't I?" she asked looking up at him. He looked down at her still unsure. She tapped his chin with her knuckle, "Don't worry about it so much." she said as she winked up at him. Then she looked over at Robin, "Doesn't he look just fine, Robin?" she asked the Historian, smile still in place.

"Indeed he does." Robin replied with her own smile. Luffy put his other hand to the back of his head as he looked away.

"See?" Nami reassured him. Then she looked at the rest of the crew, except for Sanji, "Guess we'll be going now. Don't wait up!" she said in a playful manner and winked with a sly smile. Usopp caught her attention and she looked towards him. He had a deep frown on his face. She tried her best not to react to it and quickly turned away. She began to drag Luffy to the railings, and they both climbed down.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **No Translations and Explanations Corner was needed this time. Everything I put in this chapter you should already know. :P At least, I hope you do…O.o Remember please review! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I will try my best to hurry with the other story I'm working on, so I can push out more chapters for this one. :D


	7. Chapter 7: The Banquet

**Author's Note: **The last chapter I realized was a bit…boring. It was basically to inch in the fact that Nami's feelings toward Luffy were gradually changing. It's not something that happens over night. So, since I won't be posting any for awhile. I decided to go ahead and post this one now. It's a lot more interesting, that I can assure you. Please review! Flames and criticism are welcome! I need them! Please enjoy this chapter! Until next time:D

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 7: The Banquet**

Luffy and Nami walked in silence to the place of the banquet. Mora had shown Nami where the banquet was going to be held before they had gone to her class. They continued to walk in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Nami looked over at Luffy. He was looking around at the town and its people. Nami decided to do the same. She noticed quite a few townsmen eyeing her. She noticed some of them leered at her. She found herself moving closer to Luffy and sliding her arm through his. The men made her feel uncomfortable, and knowing Luffy was there next to her made her feel safe. Luffy made a noise and looked down at Nami in surprise.

Nami continued to look around them. She noticed that some of the eyes were female. They were all looking at Luffy. She found that this kind of bothered her. She wasn't sure why though. She gave a slight frown.

"Oi, Nami?" Luffy called her quietly.

Nami looked up at Luffy, "What is it, Luffy?" she asked him.

"Those girls are pointing and laughing at me…" he said with a deep frown as he looked over to the girls in question.

Nami followed his gaze. There were two girls no older than they were, and they were indeed pointing towards him. However, they were not laughing. They were giggling. Nami smiled, "They aren't laughing at you, Luffy." she assured him.

"Yes they are! Nami you lied to me! I look stupid in these clothes!" he had stopped walking and looked down at her with a deep and troubled frown.

Nami continued to smile at him, "Amm…" she replied shaking her head, "Do you want to know what they are doing and why?" she asked looking up at him with her smile. Luffy nodded. She crooked her finger for him to come closer. He obliged her, leaning forward. "They are giggling because they _like_ the way you look." she explained in a hushed voice, putting an emphasis on "like".

Luffy leaned back while making a surprised noise. "Luffy, I wouldn't lie to you about such things. And besides would I allow you near me if you didn't look good in these clothes?" she asked this with a raised brow. Luffy looked up with a confused frown as if giving it some thought. She smiled broader as she slid her arm back through his and dragged him along beside her. He made a surprised noise at being dragged. For some reason, at that moment, she felt a little possessive of her Captain.

----

They had finally made their way to the restaurant in which the banquet was being held. They walked inside arm in arm and looked around. Nami was amazed at what she saw. There were ten round tables with white table clothes spread out in a large room. In the middle of each table were a single white long candle stick in a beautiful crystal candle holder, and a single red long stemmed rose in an equally beautiful crystal vase. The room was dimly lit, and quite romantic. There were roses everywhere. Nami tried to ignore the romantic atmosphere as she walked further inside. She noticed a long table covered with a white table cloth, which also had a flower arrangement of rose in the middle. It was laden with food. As they walked around the tables, Nami noticed each one had a card with a name on it. She approached one table in which the card read 'Monkey'.

"This must be our table." she said turning to Luffy. Luffy was eyeing the table of food. She smiled, "We have to wait, Luffy. Come sit down." she commanded in a gently voice, as she sat down at the table. Luffy frowned, but obeyed and sat down across from her. She looked down at the table, and noticed that there was silverware and two wine glasses, but no china on the table. There were also two folded red cloth napkins.

Nami looked around at the few contestants that were already there. So far none of them were any of the women she met that first time in Mora's class. As time past on, more and more people began to trickle in. Soon each table had a couple sitting at them. Nami eyed the competition. They were all pretty women. Even the men were good looking. None of the women were from Mora's class.

Nami continued to watch them and noticed that each couple seemed pretty close to each other. They would lean close to each other, giggling and flirting. Were Luffy and her the only pair who weren't actually involved with one another? She looked over at Luffy, who was still eyeing the table laden with food. Nami narrowed her eyes as a sweat bead dropped beside her face. She just sighed and shrugged.

Servers began to appear at each table and poured wine into the wine glasses. "Arigato." Nami told their server with a smile. He gave her an odd smile, and then backed off. Nami shrugged it off. She picked up her wine glass and took a sip. Luffy grabbed his and gulped it all down.

The server approached and refilled his glass. "Arigato!" he said with a grin and gulped that one down too, in which the server refilled it. Nami finished hers and the server refilled it.

On her third glass she began to feel light-headed. She frowned. She was usually able to hold her liquor without any problems. She put her fingertips to her forehead. Her breathing quickened and she could feel her eyes become heavy and hooded. She looked over at Luffy, who seemed to be having the same problem. His breath was quick and his eyes were hooded.

Nami turned toward the creepy server, who only smiled at her weird, "Hey, what is this wine?" she asked.

He approached the table, "It's the house special, Ma'am. It's quite strong." he replied in a voice Nami didn't really like.

Nami frowned at his response, "I think we've had enough. Maybe just some water please?" she asked.

The man nodded with his odd smile, and walked off. The man approached the kitchen, and looked over at two cloaked figures standing in the shadows. He nodded with a malicious grin. The two cloaked and hooded figures nodded in return, before disappearing into the shadows.

Nami looked back over to Luffy, whose eyes were still hooded, and he was breathing hard. Seeing him in that way made Nami feel weird. "Oi, Nami, I feel weird." he said while looking at her.

The way he was looking at her made her heart rate quicken. "U…un…me too…" she replied as she looked away, no longer being able to handle looking at him.

A different server appeared and put down the two glasses of water on their table. "Thanks." Nami told him, as she gave him an odd look. 'Where was the creepy guy?' she wondered, but then shrugged it off and drank her water. Luffy did the same, drinking his water.

After she drank from her glass of water she looked around. No one else seemed to have been affected by the wine. There was one of the couple's looking at them. It appeared they were being laughed at. Nami furrowed her brows and looked away from them.

Suddenly a man stepped on to a set up platform. Nami inspected the man. He was a bit on the heavy side. He had big black eyes and a pointed nose. His hair had long black spikes that pointed back behind his head. He wore dark blue pants that circled around his round stomach and a light teal colored, short sleeve button up shirt. The man began to speak. "Welcome Ladies and Gentleman to the annual Dance Festival! Tonight's Banquet is in your honor! We hope to have a great contest this year! We also hope that you will give it your best, and give us a great show! Please enjoy tonight's Banquet! There will also be dessert and entertainment after dinner. Please enjoy your meals, as the orchestra continues their beautiful music!" The heavy set man finished his announcement and walked off the platform.

In that same instant a heaping hot plate was placed before them. "Aha!" Luffy laughed as he looked down at his plate with a grin. Nami looked over at Luffy and smiled. Then she lifted her fork and began to eat. She looked back over at Luffy and noticed he still hadn't touched his food. He was staring down at it with a blank expression. Then she watched in amazement as he looked over, lifted up his fork, and then began to eat like a civil human being.

Nami was so shocked her jaw dropped, almost losing the food she had in her mouth. She caught herself just in time, and then swallowed what she had in her mouth. 'Luffy…' she thought to herself as she watched him. Then her face softened as she smiled at him. She felt something stirring inside, but she wasn't sure what. All she knew was that it made her feel warm inside. It appeared he was making an effort to behave himself on her behalf. With the warm smile still on her face, she continued to eat.

During the meal Nami noticed her light-headedness had gone away. 'Maybe it's because we drank on an empty stomach…' she thought to herself, but then shrugged, as she continued to eat.

----

Even though Luffy had eaten with decent table manners, he had eaten a great deal. Nami watched him as he ate, having been done with her food awhile back. The same warm smile played on her lips as she did this. She was grateful to him for making an effort for her. However, she felt that something else stirring inside. She was unfamiliar with this feeling. It was kind of similar to how she felt after he had saved her from Arlong, but not quite the same. The feeling made her feel…happy…very happy. But…shouldn't his having saved her from Arlong made her happier than this? She furrowed her brows in confusion. 'I have seriously been feeling really weird lately…' she thought to herself.

Finally Luffy put his fork down, and leaned back in his chair with a grin, "Ahh! That hit the spot!" he exclaimed with a satisfied sigh, and his usual grin. "I feel better too!" he said to Nami while looking at her.

"Un, me too." she said to him with the warm smile back on her lips. Luffy's grin shrank to a small smile as he looked her right in the eyes. This made her heart race, as she lost her smile. She looked away from him and towards the orchestra, "Th…The music is beautiful, isn't it?" she asked nervously, her cheeks taking on a pink tinge.

"Aa…" he responded quietly. Her eyes grew slightly larger at his quiet response. Nami dared not look back at him. Her face grew warmer, and slightly redder. The room was getting warmer.

After awhile, the couples began to mingle with one another. Nami and Luffy remained at their table, and just watched them. Nami noticed the couple that had appeared to have laughed at them, was now approaching their table. 'What did they want?' thought Nami as she plastered a smile on her face.

"Good evening, it's a beautiful banquet, is it not?" the woman asked with what Nami thought was a fake smile.

"Indeed it is." replied Nami with her own fake smile.

Then the man smiled down at them, "We noticed you were…enjoying the wine earlier." he said in a lazy drawl, with a slight pause in the middle, and a smirk on his face. Nami made a small noise in surprise and then tried her hardest not to scowl at this couple. The woman brought a hand to her mouth trying to hide her smile.

"Aa, it was really good, but strong! I wouldn't mind some more now!" Nami quickly looked over at Luffy who had a small smile on his lips. The couple both looked at him, no longer smiling. Nami was looking at him in surprise. He had responded so quickly. "Where did our server go anyway?" he asked no one in particular as he looked around. The couple only stared at Luffy for awhile.

'So the claws were out, huh?' thought Nami as she smiled at Luffy. He had unknowingly spoiled their fun.

"Yes…of course…" said the women in disappointment. "Pardon me, how rude of us, we didn't introduce ourselves. My name is Hanako, and this is my partner, Meji." The rude woman had introduced the man next to her with a less than pleasant voice and maneuvered her hand toward him.

The man bowed, "Nice to meet you." he said in his lazy drawl.

Nami smiled at the two, "I'm Nami, and this is my Captain Luffy." she replied motioning toward Luffy.

Luffy brought up a hand, "Nice to meet you too." he replied with a blank expression.

"Captain?" questioned Hanako, "Are you pirates?" she asked in a bit of disbelief.

"Yes, that's right." replied Nami, daring her to make a comment.

"Interesting…" replied Hanako. "Well, I do hope you both enjoy the rest of the banquet. We shall see you at the festival." she finally said. She gave a smile Nami didn't appreciate, and then they both turned to leave.

Both Luffy and Nami watched them as they walked away, "What a bunch of rude people…" Nami looked over at Luffy in surprise again. He wore a slight frown on his face.

'Had he known that they were being laughed at?' she thought. "Luffy, you…" she began to ask.

He interrupted her, "Aa, I noticed…" he replied with his eyes still narrowed on the rude couple.

Nami continued to stare at her Captain. Who ever had thought Luffy was an idiot, was the idiot, which included her. That same new server approached their table, "Would you like some more wine?" he asked with a polite smile.

"Yes, please!" responded Luffy with a grin and holding up his glass eagerly. The new server opened up a new bottle of wine and poor some in Luffy's glass.

"Would you like some more, miss?" the server asked Nami.

Yes, please." she responded with her own polite smile. After the server poured her some wine and back off, Nami spoke, "Ne, Luffy, let's show that rude couple how much liquor a pirate can hold." she said with a feline grin.

"Aa!" replied Luffy with a grin as he downed his first glass.

----

By the end of the banquet, she and Luffy had downed six bottles of wine. Hanako and Meji had only downed three. Nami reveled in the heated glances Hanako gave them. She and Luffy showed no outward appearance that they were intoxicated. Both still looked completely sober.

The banquet finally came to an end roughly at midnight. There had been dessert and entertainment after the dinner. Everyone said their good byes and good luck's to one another, as they all began to exit the restaurant. Hanako smiled bitterly at Nami, not being able to hide her animosity. She and Meji wished them good luck before turning to leave. Nami didn't appreciate the antagonism, but she could definitely relate to the competitiveness. She refused to lose to those people. They left the restaurant and began the walk back to the ship.

Nami began to feel light headed again and then she felt dizzy. She swayed on her feet and had to stop walking to rebalance herself. She felt an arm wrap around her waist. She looked up into Luffy's face.

He was smiling down at her. "You okay?" he asked her.

She smiled back nervously, "Yeah, I'm okay." she replied as she gave a nervous laugh. His closeness was making her heart pound as she looked up into his smiling face. She felt her legs growing weak. Then her stomach began to feel queasy. She put a hand to her mouth pushing away from Luffy, and turned and ran down an alley. Her quick movement caused a lot of her hair to fall out of its slight coil. She ran down the alley as best she could without falling over and stopped behind a crate. Just before she was relieved of the contents of her stomach, she felt fingertips lightly brush across her cheeks as her hair was gently pulled back away from her face. When she was sure she was done heaving the contents of her stomach, she slowly turned up towards Luffy and gave a nervous smile.

He was looking down at her with slight concern on his face, "You sure you're okay?" he asked gently.

She laughed nervously, "Yeah, I'm okay. I guess I over did it a bit, but I wanted to show those people what pirates were made of!" she finished saying with a grin.

"Aa, me too!" he replied. She straightened herself up to walk out of the alley. Luffy wrapped his arm around her again to offer his support. This time she gladly accepted as she leaned on him and wrapped an arm around him. She was feeling very tired and weak all of a sudden. She had never lost to alcohol before, but for some reason his nearness and touch had made her queasy. Because of this she had lost her control. However, for some reason now, his touch was just comforting.

Once they made it to the ship, Luffy removed his arm. Nami felt regret at the retreating warmth he had offered. Then suddenly he stepped in front of her with his back to her and knelt down on one knee. Nami stared down at him in surprise for awhile before a warm smile crept to her lips. He probably knew there was no way she could make it up on her own. She walked up to him, leaned down on him wrapping her arms around his neck. He stood up and she wrapped her legs around his torso. Then he began the climb aboard Sunny. He felt so warm beneath her. She found her eyes were growing heavy at the comfortable warmth.

"How do you do it?" she heard herself ask quietly.

"Are?" he made a questioning noise at her quiet question.

"I think you drank more than I did, but yet, you're fine." her voice was almost a whisper now. He only quietly laughed in response. She could feel as well as hear it, since she was so close to him.

Luffy finally reached the top and climbed over the railing. As he stood up straighter, Nami's grasp around his neck began to slip and she began to sink towards the deck. "Ah!" he exclaimed in surprise. He grabbed one of her legs and an arm and slowly eased her to the ground. He looked down into her face once she was on the ground. She had fallen asleep. He smiled gently down at her before sliding an arm under her knees and the other under her back and lifted her up off the deck. She placed her head in the nook of his neck and cuddled closer to his body for warmth. He smiled down at her before standing up.

He stood up and walked up the stairs to the women's quarters. As quietly as possible he opened the door. He quietly made his way inside and towards the sleeping Navigator's bed, trying his best not to wake the sleeping Archeologist. He gently and quietly flung the covers back and then gently laid the sleeping beauty in his arms down. Then he gently removed her shoes, quietly dropping them to the floor, and then covered her with the covers. He looked down at his sleeping Navigator and smiled, then quietly made his way out closing the door behind him.

----

Robin woke up to the quiet turning of the door handle to the women's quarters. 'So she was finally back was she?' she thought to herself. She slowly opened her eyes, and had to stifle a surprised noise. It wasn't the Navigator who was making her way to the bed. However, it was a dark figure carrying the Navigator. Robin watched as the figure quietly made his way to the bed and flung back the covers. Then she watched as he gently laid her down, and then removed her shoes, quietly dropping them to the floor. Then he covered her and stood watching her for awhile, before finally quietly taking his leave. Robin smiled to herself as she watched their Captain quietly close the door behind him. She then moved to look towards the fast asleep Navigator. 'What did this mean?' she asked herself smiling before slipping back into a deep slumber.

----

Luffy walked out, closed the door quietly, and then made his way downstairs to the men's quarters. He quietly opened the door, stepped inside, and then closed it, making sure not to wake any of the guys. He crept towards his bed, removing his clothes as he went down to his boxers. He dropped his clothes in a pile next to his bed, and fell down face first into his bed. He was too tired and too intoxicated to put them away or look for his other clothes. He covered himself with his blanket and fell fast asleep within minutes.

----

That morning Nami woke up and as she sat up, her hand went immediately to her head. "Ugh…" she replied. She had a severe hang over. She looked around at her surroundings. She was in the women's quarters. She looked at the bed next to her. It was already empty. She was lying in her bed, but for the life of her she could not remember how she got there. She looked down at herself. She was still wearing the black slender dress from last night's banquet. Her eyes trailed to the floor where she found her shoes that were next to the bed. Memories from last night began to flood her mind. Her cheeks flushed red as she remembered losing her dinner in front of Luffy. She remembered his fingertips gently gliding across her cheeks as he had gently pulled her hair back out of her face. She gently touched one of her cheeks with her fingertips. Then she remembered he had also carried her on board.

"Ah!" she exclaimed at her realization. She had fallen asleep on Luffy. She looked back down at her shoes. He must have carried her to her bed. She smiled to herself before finally getting up to get ready to go down for breakfast.

Once she was ready she walked out of the women's quarters and made her way to Chopper's Infirmary. She was going to need something for the pain the hang over was causing her. She opened the door and began to make her way inside, but then stopped short. She was looking into the eyes of her Captain. He was sitting on the only infirmary bed. "Oi, Nami! Good morning!" he called with his usual grin.

"Oh, good morning, Nami!" called Chopper as he was digging in one of his shelves.

It took her a moment to remove her gaze from the expressionless face of her Captain and to calm her racing heart. "Uh…good morning." she finally responded.

"You too, huh?" asked Chopper as he continued to dig in his shelves, "Aha!" he exclaimed as he pulled out a medicine bottle.

"Huh?" replied Nami only staring at the little reindeer in puzzlement. For some reason her mind wasn't functioning at 100.

"A hang over…?" he replied with a smile.

Nami looked over at Luffy who was grinning stupidly back at her. "Un…" she replied with a nod as she finally got over her stupor and walked over to Chopper's desk and leaned on it.

Chopper poured some water into a fairly large cup, and then walked over to Luffy. "Here you go! Take two of these!" he exclaimed with a bright smile as he handed Luffy two pills and the cup of water. Nami watched as he through the pills into his mouth and then downed the water. He handed the cup back to Chopper he refilled it then walked over to Nami. He held up two of the same pills and the same cup that Luffy just drank out of.

She took the pills, but then stared at the cup. She looked up at Luffy who was only staring back at her with his expressionless gaze. Nami looked back down at the cup, then finally took it and downed the pills and the water. She looked back at Luffy who only grinned, then jumped off the bed and began to walk towards the door. Nami handed Chopper back the cup and then followed Luffy outside.

Chopper had looked from one to the other and watched their odd exchange before Nami had finally taken the cup and downed her pills. He titled his head in confusion as he watched them walk out together. He put the cup down on his desk and then followed them out, with a puzzled expression.

Luffy walked into the dining area, Nami following behind him. "Well, good morning you two." called Zoro with a smirk, "Good of you to join us." he continued smirk still in place.

Luffy took a seat at the table, Nami sitting down beside him. It seemed everyone else was just about finished with breakfast. Chopper finally came in and took his seat. Franky was seated at the couch next to the table, and Sanji was in the kitchen.

Sanji hadn't greeted them. Nami wasn't surprised. "Couldn't help but notice you guys came back pretty late last night." Zoro commented with his smirk.

"Un, that's right. The banquet didn't end until midnight." replied Nami with a glare at the smirking Swordsman.

"Hmph…" he replied as he closed his eyes, smirk seemingly glued to his lips.

"Wow, the banquet was long!" remarked Chopper in amazement.

"Un, they had dessert and entertainment after the dinner." she replied to the grinning reindeer with a smile. "I have to go back to Mora-sensei's after breakfast." she said as she began to eat. Luffy was already chowing down as much food as he could get his hands on. "Today is the first of the competition. I need to get more practice in." she continued.

"How many times do you have to go, Nami-san?" asked Sanji quietly and unsure from the kitchen.

She closed her eyes and furrowed her brows, "As long as it takes!" she replied not looking towards him. She was still quite mad about what had happened yesterday, but she figured she couldn't go on ignoring him forever. 'Besides, he let Luffy eat today.' she thought to herself as she continued to eat.

Everyone had stayed in the dining area while she, Luffy and Chopper ate. They were all just talking to one another. Once Nami had finally eaten her fill, she stood up from the table, "Well, see you guys later. I'm off to Mora-sensei's now." she said as she walked out.

Everyone watched Nami walk out, and then their eyes immediately went to Luffy. "Nani?" he asked with a confused expression, food still in his mouth.

"So, what happened?" Zoro asked with his fixed grin.

"Something happened?!" asked Luffy getting excited.

"I meant with you and Nami last night!" yelled Zoro losing his patience.

"Oh…we ate, drank, and talked to the other people." he replied with his goofy grin as his cheeks were unnaturally extended from the heaping amounts of food stored inside them.

Zoro smacked his own forehead, and then looked back at Luffy, who was still stuffing his mouth. He should have known better. It was impossible to get any information out of Luffy.

----

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **No Translations or Explanations Corner was needed here either. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any questions I will be glad to answer them for you. :D Remember, please review!


	8. Chapter 8: Rivalry and Jealousy!

**Author's Note: ****PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING!**I can see quite a few people have misconceptions on my view of Sanji. I will get one thing straight. I love Sanji. I respect Sanji. I do not hate Sanji. Yes, he was a jerk. Why? Because I have more respect for Sanji than to have him sit on his arse and do nothing. Sanji: "Sure Luffy! Go ahead and snatch up the girl of my dreams! I don't mind!" Yeah…right…-.- We all know Nami is his favorite female. Why do we know this? Because she is the only female he refers to with the san suffix. She comes first in his pampering then any other female. Therefore, I believe he is actually trying to woo her. So to me, he would fight for her, even Luffy. When people are jealous, they become angry, blinded. They do stupid things, even to a best friend. So, I wanted to make it clear, I do not hate Sanji. I did not make him a jerk just to make him look bad or try and bash him in any way. I will tell you one thing. Everything _will _be made better, I can assure you. So, bear with me, ne:) I'm pretty sure I already said this though…**PAY ATTENTION TO THE AUTHOR'S NOTES…It could be important…-.- **Anyways, I hope you guys have enjoyed my story as well as my OC characters so far. Please review! Flames and criticism are welcome! You should already know why…Enjoy:D

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 8: Rivalry…and Jealousy?! The Dance Festival Begins!**

On her way back to the ship from Mora-sensei's, Nami had a lot on her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about Luffy. He seemed to be occupying her mind more and more lately. Then there were the weird feelings she kept getting. The feelings were unfamiliar to her. The only feelings she had gotten used to so far were, hatred, despair, fear, and then after Luffy it was, relief, hope, joy, and freedom. However, the feelings she was experiencing now were new to her. Not only that but they seemed to be caused by none other than her Captain.

She furrowed her brows, 'I have to stop thinking about him so much.' she thought to herself as she began to pass a book store. She stopped and looked inside. 'That's what I need! A new navigation book to keep my mind off of it!' she thought as she smiled and made her way inside.

Nami walked out of the store with her new book and began the walk back towards the ship. As soon as she climbed aboard Sunny, everyone seemed to be on deck, and the first person to greet her, was him.

"Oi, Nami!" he greeted as he grinned and waved at her.

"How did it go, Nami-san?" greeted Sanji cautiously. He seemed to be aware that he was treading on thin ice.

"It went fine. Mora-sensei taught me a new dance today for tomorrow's competition." she answered him, without looking in his direction.

Sanji smiled grateful she didn't ignore him again. "That's great, Nami-san!" he exclaimed happily.

Nami's icy exterior started to shatter. She had to hold her resolve. She still couldn't forgive him for what he had done to Luffy. After all, he had still yet to apologize to him for how he treated him. She still wanted to get back at him for what he had done to also prove he could not treat her as if she belonged to him.

"So, when is she going to teach Luffy how to dance?" asked Zoro with the annoying smirk. "It's going to be hilarious watching him dance." he remarked with a snicker.

"Tomorrow, actually, she told me to bring him along with me tomorrow morning. After we practice together I will remain there to continue with my lessons." she replied to him.

"Well, I can't wait to see the ahou dance. This oughta be good!" Zoro laughed.

Luffy pursed his lips at the gleeful Swordsman, "I'm right here, ya know…" he quietly exclaimed in annoyance. Zoro just smirked at him.

Nami turned towards the observation room and smiled to herself at Luffy's words, "Well, I'm going to take a shower." she said as she disappeared inside.

----

After her quick shower, Nami went back down to the deck and sat down in her usual chair next to Robin. She opened her book and began to read it. After about ten minutes, she was completely engrossed in it. Then suddenly she felt a chin on her shoulder.

She narrowed her eyes, "What are you doing?" she asked slightly annoyed, not taking her eyes off her book.

"Reading…"

"Why?" she asked still not looking away from her book.

"Because I'm bored…"

She sighed trying her best not to smile, "Fine, just don't bother me." she replied and continued to read…or at least…she tried to. His nearness was distracting her something fierce. Not only that, but she could hear his even breathing, and slightly feel it against her cheek. She had to suppress a shiver as a sensation ran down her spine. Not only that but, the contact of his chin to her shoulder was unnerving.

Luffy read a few pages, but he didn't really understand any of it. For some reason, he just felt like being near his Navigator. He finally lifted his chin, walked around her chair and then laid out at her feet. He lowered his hat to cover his eyes from the bright sky, and placed his arms behind his head for cushion.

"Now what are you doing?" asked Nami as she lowered her book slightly only revealing her eyes as she looked down at him.

"Taking a nap…" he replied.

Nami smiled to herself as she brought the book back up to her face and continued to read.

Robin had lowered her book to watch the two's odd behavior from the corner of her eyes. She lowered her book further to regard the rest of the crew on deck. It appeared the two's odd behavior had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the crew who were on deck either. Zoro had one eye on the two, Usopp and Chopper both had puzzled frowns. It seemed the two in question hadn't realized their behavior as being odd, or didn't care.

Then as if on queue, Sanji came out of the kitchen. "Nami-swaaan! Robin-chwaaan! I have made a delectable dessert for you to hold you over until lunch!" he called as he began his prance to the two and then stopped as he spotted Luffy, "What are you doing there?" he asked him with slight annoyance.

Luffy used his index finger to raise his hat from his eyes as he looked towards Sanji, "Taking a nap…" he replied casually.

Nami looked down at Luffy and noticed his eyes. They were almost hard, as if daring Sanji to make him move. Her lips slightly parted in surprise.

"Why are you taking a nap right here?" Sanji asked becoming more annoyed, as he frowned.

"There's shade here…" Luffy replied lazily. Nami smiled to herself behind her book.

"You might be bothering Nami-san." Sanji pointed out to him, his frown deepening.

Luffy looked up at Nami. She realized he was asking her with his eyes if he was bothering her by being there. "He isn't bothering me by being there, Sanji-kun." she replied trying to hide the smile from her voice, as she continued to look down at Luffy.

Everyone was watching with interest. Sanji frowned deeper at her response. Luffy let his hat fall down back over his eyes and resumed his relaxed position, but not before Nami caught the slight smug smile on his face. Sanji continued toward the women and set down their desserts.

Nami put her book down on the table, lifted hers up and then on a whim, lifted up her feet and then dropped them onto Luffy's stomach. He made an 'Oomph' sound as the air was knocked out of him. She looked down at him. He lifted his hat back up with his index finger to look up at her.

She smiled down at him, "Ah, this is actually quite comfortable!" she exclaimed as she ate her dessert. Luffy only smiled in reply to her words and then allowed his hat to fall back down over his eyes. Sanji continued to frown at the two but chose not to say anything as he made his way back to the kitchen.

Everyone was still watching the two with immense interest, except for one. Usopp was deeply frowning at the two. 'So, she's doing exactly what I thought she was going to do, only…What I hadn't expected to happen…was Luffy. I thought it might be a possibility but…so quickly…?'Usopp's frown deepened at his thoughts. She has only done it once before in front of Sanji, and that was last night. 'How could Luffy possibly…? What's going on?' Usopp continued to frown at his thoughts.

Zoro had been watching the two, ever since Nami had spoken up. When he had opened his eye, he saw that Luffy had his chin on Nami's shoulder. She hadn't even told him to go away. As a matter of fact, she allowed him to stay. When he had lain out at her feet, she still had not told him to leave. Not to mention when Sanji had come out and confronted Luffy, she had defended him saying, that he wasn't bothering her by being there. Normal, it would have bothered her, Zoro was sure of this. He had also noticed that she had sat next to Luffy at breakfast. Their behavior was not normal today. 'What happened at the banquet?' he thought to himself. He had also noticed Nami's trying to make Sanji jealous before the banquet the night before. After all, he had kind of helped with that. He knew she was mad at Sanji, and he could kind of tell she was trying to make him mad. 'Maybe the two were working together to make the love-cook jealous…' he thought, but then crossed that thought out. 'The love-cook hadn't even been out here to see when Luffy had placed his chin on Nami's shoulder…If that's the case…What the hell is going on?' he narrowed his eye at the pair.

After about fifteen minutes, Sanji came out of the kitchen, "Oi, lunch is ready!" he announced before disappearing back inside. Luffy sat up and gently removed Nami's feet before grinning up at her and taking off for the dining area. Nami had put her book down and smiled down at him as he set her feet down, and then watched him run off. Then she got up and walked with Robin to the dining area.

As Nami made her way inside she thought about Luffy. The entire time he had been lying at her feet, he had not slept. She knew this because if he _had _been asleep, she would have heard it. She knew Luffy snored in his sleep. 'So if he hadn't been asleep…what was he doing there?' she thought to herself as she took her seat. She sat between Robin and Chopper this time. It was of course a normal, loud and boisterous affair, as people talked over one another or were squabbling for food.

After lunch everyone went back to their normal routines. Chopper decided he wanted to play a card game. Luffy, Usopp, and Franky readily agreed. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper ran out on deck to get the game started. Franky followed slowly a long behind them. Zoro walked out on deck to continue his nap. Sanji stayed in the kitchen to clean up. Nami followed Robin to their usual reading spot out on deck. Nami sat in her chair and grabbed her book to continue reading it. Before she pulled it up in front of her face she watched the guys play cards for awhile. She noticed they were playing for coins. She finally just smiled at them before lifting her book back up to her face.

After awhile Sanji came out of the kitchen. "Nami-swaaan! Robin-chwaaan! I have made you a divine cocktail of love!" he exclaimed. As Sanji was prancing his way towards them he felt something hard hit his head. "Ow…Nani?" he exclaimed as he looked around. Zoro was out cold on the deck and the other four were playing cards and laughing to themselves.

"What is it, Sanji-kun?" asked Nami putting her book down to look over at him.

'What just hit me?' he asked himself. He had heard something hit the grassy deck after he had been hit. He looked down and around, but he didn't see anything.

Nami looked around too and noticed a coin a few feet away from Sanji on the short grass. 'Nan da…' she thought as she stared at it.

"Cook-san, are you okay?" asked Robin who was now looking at Sanji.

"Haaai! I'm fine, Robin-chwaaan!" he replied as he pranced over to them handing them a drink each.

Nami took hers from him and while still staring at the solitaire coin on deck she took a sip, "Mmm, this is delicious, Sanji-kun!" she exclaimed as she looked up at him.

"Anything for you, my lovely Nami-swaan!" he exclaimed with his love-love eyes. Nami slightly narrowed her eyes at his use of the word 'my'. "Ow!" he exclaimed again. "What the hell?!" he yelled. This time Nami heard something hit the grassy deck. She looked down…it was another coin. Nami looked towards the four who were playing cards. They were all laughing and really into their game, oblivious to what was going on.

Sanji looked around but didn't see anything. He grumbled to himself as he made his way back to the kitchen. Nami set her drink down, walked over to the coin, picked it up, and then walked towards the other picking it up as well.

Robin watched as Nami retrieved each fallen coin with a quizzical expression. Nami walked over to the four sitting on the grassy deck as they played cards. She stopped and towered over one player in particular.

Luffy looked up towards where he was being shadowed. The other three looked towards Nami as well. Nami stared down at Luffy for awhile. He only stared back up at her with his blank, expressionless face. Then Nami smiled with furrowed brows, "I believe these belong to you…" she said as she held up both coins, one between each of her fingers.

"Ah, I wondered where those went!" he exclaimed as he reached up to grab them from her.

Nami pulled them away from his reach with a grin, "Nah ah ah…" she said as she shook her other finger at him. "They're mine now. You snooze ya loose." she said as she kissed each coin.

Luffy smirked up towards her, "Fine…you can keep them. I don't want them now that you put your mouth on them." he retorted looking away from her.

Nami pouted slightly at his teasing, and then smiled slyly, "That's a child's point of view." she remarked. He quickly looked up at her with a scowl. She grinned at his reaction. It was just the reaction she had predicted, "I didn't think that way this morning, when I drank out of the same cup as you. If I'm not mistaken…neither did you…" she continued grinning down at him. He made a noise in surprise and disbelief as his eyes grew huge. Then he looked down quickly his hat hiding his face, but not before she saw the slight scarlet color of his cheeks.

Usopp, Chopper, and Franky all shifted around uncomfortably. "Just keep the stupid coins…" Luffy finally remarked in a bored voice. Her grin widened as she tossed up both coins, and then caught them, "Oh, I intended to." she replied before walking away. Usopp, Chopper, and Franky all watched Nami walk away and then looked back over at Luffy.

Finally he looked up with a grin, "Shall we continue?" he asked with a bit of a chuckle.

Robin had watched the entire scene. 'Had Captain-san tossed those coins?' she thought to herself.

Nami walked back to her seat and sat down. She lifted her book back up to her face, but she didn't read it. 'Had he tossed them by accident?' she thought to herself. 'No…he didn't…both coins had hit their mark…Sanji-kun…It was no accident. I know it had to have been Luffy. The other three have no reason to throw coins at Sanji-kun. Not to mention, he did take claim on both coins when I had showed them to him. Although, why would Luffy throw coins at Sanji-kun? Not to mention, he had thrown them without anyone having noticed. Not even the three who were sitting right in front of him. He had to have used incredible speed to be able to pull something like that off.' Nami furrowed her brows. 'Why had Luffy thrown coins at Sanji-kun? Was he still mad at him? But, why did he choose now to do something about it?' she furrowed her brows deeper as she began to focus on her book.

----

It was finally time for Nami to leave and prepare for the first event of the festival. She had told everyone that she was going to go on ahead of them, since she needed to get ready at the place where the festival was going to be held at. The ones in charge of the festival had set up dressing rooms for the contestants. Everyone else stayed behind at the ship to await the appointed time of the festival. Usopp, Chopper, Zoro, and Luffy were on decking waiting for the appointed time to go to the festival.

Luffy was hanging over the side of the rail moping. "Isn't it time yet? I wanna go already…Meshi…" he whined softly.

Zoro glared his way, "Didn't we just eat lunch, like a little over an hour ago?" he retorted.

There were a few moments of silence, "But I'm still hungry…" Luffy finally replied.

Zoro's eyes widened a bit. It had taken him to long to answer. 'Was food really why he was so anxious to go?' he thought with a raised brow. 'But then why else would he be?'

Finally after about fifteen minutes, Sanji, Robin, and Franky came out of different areas of the ship, "Are we ready to see Nami-swan's exotic dance of love?!" Sanji exclaimed with his love-love eyes.

Luffy perked up and then quickly turned in his direction, "Haaaaai!" he exclaimed with a grin as he turned and jumped off the ship.

Everyone but one, followed him off the ship. Usopp stood on the deck glued where he was. Sweat beaded down his face, and he had a shocked expression. 'What the hell was that?! Luffy…just before…his face!!' Zoro climbed back aboard realizing the missing Sharpshooter.

He looked around and spotted Usopp still standing in the same place on deck. "Oi…you coming, Usopp?" he asked with a bewildered expression. Then he frowned at him. Usopp was frozen in place with an expression that resembled surprise…fear…shock?

Usopp finally snapped out of it, shaking his head a bit to clear it. "A…aa, I'm coming!" he finally replied. Usopp walked over and began his climb down. Zoro just watched with furrowed brows. 'What was that about?' he thought before following the Sharpshooter down.

----

Everyone trailed behind their Captain, who was running from place to place excitedly. The townspeople had set up make shift shops for the festival. Luffy ran from one to the other with a massive grin on his face, just drinking it all in.

He finally spotted what he was looking for, "Meshi!!" he yelled as he ran to a make shift shop where an ossan was barbequing some meat. "I'll take ten!" he exclaimed loudly to the ossan.

The ossan laughed, "Haai! Coming right up!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Usopp watched his Captain, who appeared to be normal. 'What was that back on the ship?' he asked himself with furrowed brows. Back on the ship he had been leaning on the rail some distance from Luffy. He had glared over at Luffy when he was talking to Zoro about being hungry. When Sanji had come out and made his statement…Luffy had…made a face…but, as quickly as it had come it was gone. However, he had seen it. There were only a few times Usopp had seen that kind of face on Luffy, and that was when an enemy pissed him off. Only during fights did Luffy ever make such a scary face.

"Oi…you sure you're okay?" Usopp slightly jumped, startled at suddenly being talked to. He looked over at Zoro, who was looking at him with a curious expression.

"A…aa…" he finally replied.

Zoro stared at Usopp for awhile before finally speaking, "You noticed right?" he asked in a hushed voice.

Usopp looked away quickly to hide his surprised expression, 'Had he seen Luffy's face too?' he thought to himself. "N…noticed what?" he asked nervously also in a hushed voice.

Zoro narrowed his eyes at Usopp. "Luffy and Nami, they have been acting weird lately." he replied in the hushed voice.

'So he hadn't seen after all." he thought to himself. 'It's probably better I don't tell him or anyone what I just saw. It might complicate things, plus, I feel like I would be betraying Luffy.' he continued to think. "A…aa…I guess I have kind of noticed some weird stuff." he finally replied.

"Yare, yare…" Both Usopp and Zoro jumped and made a nervous noise at the extra voice. They both slowly turned towards Robin he was walking along behind them. "I have noticed as well." she said with her gentle smile.

"Really?" asked Usopp.

"Ee." she replied with a smile and a nod.

"I think we should discuss it with the rest of the crew." Zoro said as he looked over at the Cook, who was hopelessly flirting with a girl in one of the make shift shops. "We'll exclude the Love-cook." he continued, nodding over toward Sanji. They nodded in agreement.

"I agree. Sanji-aniki shouldn't be there." They all jumped as they looked over at Franky, who had his eyes closed while nodding and a hand on his chin, rubbing it. "Strange stuff has been going on, and I keep missing it. I wanna know what it is." he continued.

"I too have seen some weird things. I would like to talk about it. It makes me worried and confused." They all looked Chopper's way no longer surprised at the extra voice.

"Alright, tonight then." said Zoro as he looked at everyone. They all nodded in acknowledgement.

"Whatcha guys doin'?" Everyone jumped as they all looked towards Luffy who was standing next to them, arms full of meat.

"Uh…nan demo nai!" said Usopp nervously, as sweat beaded down his face.

"Just looking around." said Franky at the same time.

"We were discussing the festival." added Robin to the jumbled explanations.

Zoro kept quiet as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Chopper only looked nervously towards Luffy.

Luffy stared at them for awhile with a blank expression before shrugging, "I see…" he replied before turning around. "Well, let's get going!" he exclaimed as he continued walking towards the festival.

Everyone let out the breath they had not realized they had been holding. Then they all followed behind their energetic Captain. Zoro turned around and looked towards Sanji, "Oi, Love-cook! You're going to get left behind!" he yelled before turning to continue following the rest of the crew.

"Maybe I could cook you dinner some….O…oi!" yelled Sanji who turned towards the others, "Excuse me, Mademoiselle…" he said to the girl and bowed over her hand, kissing it before running after them.

----

They finally reached the building the festival was being held at. Nami had given them all tickets to get inside the festival. They walked to the ticket booth and handed the man their tickets. Luffy, however, didn't need a ticket. All he had to do was sign his name, so that they could verify that it was a match to his signature, and he was allowed in since he was a participant of the festival.

They found some seats towards the middle and sat down. Luffy sat on the end since he had his arms full of meat. He wolfed it all down in a matter of seconds. After about ten minutes of waiting, the festival finally started.

A heavy set man stepped on the stage and turned towards the crowd. "Welcome ladies and gentleman to the annual Dance Festival! I am Mogu and I will be your announcer for the duration of the festival!" he announced.

Luffy looked down at the man, "Ah! It's the same announcer ossan from the banquet!" he explained to the others as the man continued with the introductions.

"Oh?" asked Zoro as he looked down at the man who was now introducing all the participants and announcing the order in which they would perform.

"Aa! I thought he looked funny. He still looks funny! I like his hair!" Luffy exclaimed with a laugh.

"At the end of all the participant's performances the scoring will be announced in order of which the participants performed! Now if you please, let us give our attention to the first contestant!" he said as he announced the first contestant and then walked off stage.

"Looks like there are only ten participants and Nami-san is eighth. It's such a long way to go to see my Nami-swan!" Sanji explained in a dramatic whine. Luffy looked over at Sanji with narrowed eyes without moving his head and clenched his teeth. Then turned back to the stage.

The crew watched each performance with mild interest just waiting for Nami's turn. Except for Sanji, who seemed to be enjoying each performance of the different but beautiful women. "Mellorine!!" he cheered for each woman.

"That Ahou is hopeless…" remarked Zoro with a sneer.

Mogu introduced the sixth Contestant. Luffy recognized her, "Ah! It's that rude woman!" he exclaimed while pointing.

Everyone looked towards him, "The who?" Usopp, Zoro, Chopper, and Franky asked at the same time.

"The rude woman! She and her partner laughed at us during the banquet! Because of that Nami and I drank a lot of wine to show them what pirates were made of!" he explained with a lopsided grin.

"No wonder you both had hangovers this morning!" remarked Chopper to Luffy's explanation.

"Aa…We drank a lot!" he replied laughing.

Everyone looked back down at the woman. Her outfit was reserved and simple, as well as her dance. Her dance only consisted of a few twirls, leg lifts, and some graceful movement of her hips and arms. The music she danced to was a nice, but simple song. Even so, there were still some cheers from the crowd. She was still a pretty woman after all.

"Mellorine! What a beautiful hana!" exclaimed Sanji with his love-love eyes. Everyone turned towards him each making his or her own face at him.

There were two more contestants before it was finally Nami's turn. The curtains were drawn in preparation for Nami's performance.

"We finally get to see Nami-swan's exotic dance of love!" exclaimed Sanji loudly with his love-love eyes, which attracted a lot of attention from the crowd. Luffy only moved his eyes again keeping his face towards the stage as he glared at Sanji, clenching his teeth, and then he looked back at the stage. Luffy began to feel himself get nervous for some reason. He could feel butterflies in his stomach. He frowned slightly as he waited.

As soon as Mogu introduced Nami and walked off stage, the lights grew dim. Luffy could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and sweat beaded down his face. Finally the curtains were opened, and they could all see a figure standing in the middle of the stage. As the music started, the lights were turned on.

"Mellorine! Mellorine!! Nami-swaan!! You are more beautiful than a new summer day!!" yelled Sanji as his love-love eyes locked on to Nami.

"Hooo…That's an interesting bathing suit." remarked Zoro as he looked down at Nami.

"A bathing suit? That's not a bathing suit. It has that…cloth…thingy in the middle…" added Usopp.

"That's a lot of skin Nami-onesan is showin' off there…" said Franky as he lifted up his sunglasses with his index finger.

"It's so sparkly!" exclaimed Chopper with a smile.

"Navigator-san is very pretty." remarked Robin with a gentle smile.

"……"

"Mellorine!!! Her body is so beautiful when she moves like that!!" yelled Sanji, who was drawing a great deal of attention from the crowd of people nearest them.

"And you thought Nami couldn't dance…Looks like she's dancing just fine to me…" remarked Zoro to Usopp with a smirk.

"I only asked her if she could!...Her dancing is…uh…never mind…" replied Usopp with a hand to his chin.

"Who would have thought Nami-onesan could, uh…move…like that…?" added Franky as sweat beaded down his face.

"It's so sparkly!!!" exclaimed Chopper with a bigger smile.

"Her dance is indeed…exotic…" replied Robin with a serious expression.

"……"

"It's not exotic! It's Nami-swan's erotic dance of love!!!" exclaimed Sanji with his love-love eyes in tactic.

"Erotic…….?!" remarked Zoro as he glared over at Sanji.

"Uh…it is…different…" added Usopp.

"Different? How many dances have you seen?" asked Franky.

"Quite a few, actually! There was one I saw when I was about four. It was the most…." started Usopp on one of his many tall-tales.

"Its soooo sparkly…and red!!" exclaimed Chopper laughing to himself.

"Yes…it is indeed sparkly…and red." agreed Robin to Chopper with a warm smile.

"……"

"Is she looking at us?" asked Franky.

"It looks like it…Maybe she needs to see familiar faces so she's not as nervous." replied Usopp.

"Are you sure she's looking at us? In this direction maybe…but at us?" asked Zoro. He squinted his eyes at Nami to see her better.

"Of course she's looking at us, Baka Marimo!! Nami-swaaan!! I am here for you!!!" yelled Sanji to the stage. Zoro glared at Sanji.

"No…I don't think she's looking at us…" replied Robin quietly towards the others. Sanji was sitting on her other side. Then their eyes widened. They all slowly turned and looked towards the end, except for Sanji, who kept cheering for Nami.

Luffy was staring down at Nami, eyes hooded, mouth slightly parted, as if in a trance. A large sweat bead dropped down the sides of everyone's head.

"Uh…" Usopp remarked confused. Everyone looked back down at Nami who for most of her dance so far had kept her eyes entirely on Luffy. They all looked back at Luffy.

"What the hell?" remarked Zoro as he raised a brow towards Luffy.

Sanji finally got over his love-love state. "Are?" questioned Sanji as he noticed the others were no longer looking towards Nami. "What's going on?" he asked with furrowed brows.

Everyone jumped and looked towards him. "Na…nan demo nai!" stuttered Usopp as he held up his hands and sweat beaded down his face. He forced a smile on his face.

Sanji looked back down at Nami. This time he really looked. She really wasn't looking towards them. She was looking at…Sanji clenched his teeth as he scowled, and then turned to the one person who seemed to be pissing him off more and more.

However, Robin planted herself in his view, "Cook-san, it's a lovely dance, is it not?" asked Robin slightly nervous as she too forced a smile.

"Haaai! Robin-chwaan!" he cooed as he resumed his love-love eyes state.

Zoro glared at Sanji, 'He really was a hopeless ahou…' he thought as he glared.

They all knew they couldn't let Sanji see Luffy in that state. They all mentally agreed that it was better they not look back at Luffy, thus drawing Sanji's attention again.

Luffy stared down at Nami. As soon as her dance started he had sat transfixed. He couldn't remove his eyes from her. She wore a bright, red sparkled outfit. The top was no more than a two piece top to a bikini. The bottom was just a rectangular cloth running down the front and back past the knee. The sides of her legs other than the strings on each side holding it together was completely bare. Also, there was a great deal of the sides of her backside in plain view. She wore no shoes, she was barefoot. She had a red colored anklet and golden bracelets on each wrist. She also wore red gemmed earrings and a necklace. She also had a gold chained belt with red gems that wrapped around her exposed stomach. Her hair was twisted up with a golden clip.

The way she moved her body, made his palms sweaty and his heart race. She moved her entire body in a fluid and agile movement. Her arms also moved in a fluid and agile manner. She lifted her leg up in an agile lift and performed very provocative back dips.

At her dip backward the eye contact was broken and Luffy was released from his trance. He was now aware of the crowd going crazy and whistling around him. Her leg lift and backwards dip had really worked up the male spectators of the crowd.

He looked around at the crowd. The males of the crowd were going wild. Their reaction to Nami for some reason made him want to tear them apart. He didn't like how they were looking at her. He scowled at them and then looked back down at Nami.

Nami had brought her attention back to Luffy. She had to try hard to conceal her surprise at the expression on his face. He had a deep scowl on his scarred face. She had found his earlier gaze entrancing. She had decided to use the dance to make Sanji the most jealous by only keeping her gaze on Luffy, but at seeing his hooded gaze, she had found it hard to look away. It made her heart race and her breath quicken. She couldn't really explain how it made her feel. Every time he looked at her with those eyes, it did things to her, made her feel…weird. It gave her feelings she was unfamiliar with.

However, now his expression was surprisingly menacing. 'Why does he look like that?' she thought to herself as she continued her dance. Luffy relaxed his face as he stared down at Nami.

Then he noticed movement within the audience to his left. He looked over. A few men had gotten up and were now headed out to the outer part of the building in a fast pace. "Where are you going?" he whispered to himself. Just then Nami's dance ended. He looked back down towards her. She was in a sitting position with one knee slightly raised to her chest, the other crossed under it. She had her head bowed to her knee and palms down next to her. She was revealing a great deal of her leg and backside. The curtain then closed, hiding Nami from the view of the crowd.

Luffy cast one more frown as the male spectators of the crowd went wild. He looked back at the retreating men who were now making their way out. Luffy got up quickly and quietly and followed them out.

"Well…that was some dance Nami-onesan just did…" said Franky as he raised a brow.

"Aa…" replied Zoro and Usopp.

"Nami-swan was magnificent!" exclaimed Sanji.

"Her outfit was so sparkly! The lights made it so cool!" exclaimed Chopper excitedly as he giggled.

"So…what did you think, Luffy?...Luffy?" Usopp and the others finally looked over where Luffy was sitting. Where Luffy had once been sitting was now an empty space.

"Oi, where did Luffy go?!" asked Usopp loudly.

"Luffy! That brainless monkey! Where did he go?!" yelled Sanji as he began to get up. However, Robin grabbed his hand and pulled him back down next to her.

"We have to wait for the scoring." she stated with a gentle smile.

"Haaai! Robin-chwaan!" exclaimed Sanji with his love-love eyes.

"Ahou…" Usopp, Franky, and Zoro all remarked quietly as they glared towards Sanji.

----

As Luffy stepped out into the outer portion of the building he looked around for the men he saw leave. "Where did they go?" he asked himself quietly as he looked around. Then he spotted them just before they turned a corner. He began to run towards them trying hard not to knock anyone down. The crowd outside slowed him down. He turned the corner and had to look for them again. He saw them some distance down. He started toward them again, as they turned yet another corner. He quickly made his way and turned the corner. The area was a bit wider than where he had just come from. He looked around for them. Then he finally spotted them. They were standing in a group that was a bigger group of men.

Luffy's eyes widened. There in the middle of them was his Navigator with her back to him. They were all laughing as they talked to Nami. She was laughing with them, and it appeared she was holding a few bouquets of flowers. Luffy felt himself grow angry. For reasons he didn't understand, he did not like it. He didn't like these men. His face formed into a deep scowl as he slowly made his way to the group.

He stopped some distance away from them, glowering, with clenched teeth. One of the men felt a shiver run down his spine as he turned around. The young man standing some distance away frightened him. With a look of fear he elbowed his friend and pointed. The two men looked at the threatening young man as sweat beaded down their faces. More of the men began to notice the ominous young man. They all nervously said their good lucks and farewells and hurriedly scurried off.

Nami had noticed the nervous state of her admirers as they gave their good lucks and farewells and then quickly ran off. "What was that all about?" she asked herself out loud as she scratched her head. Then she looked in the direction she had noticed one of them glance in. She turned to see Luffy walking towards her with his goofy grin as he waved at her.

"Oi, Nami!" he called to her as he approached laughing to himself.

Nami glared at her approaching Captain. 'Baka! He probably scared off all her admirers with that silly grin." she thought as he finally made it to her.

"Luffy, what are you doing back here?" she asked him.

"I came to find you!" he exclaimed with his grin. Then his face turned blank, "Who were all those men just now?" he asked.

"They were just telling me how much they loved my dance and to wish me luck on my next performances." she explained.

"What are the flowers for?" he asked looking down at them, face still expressionless.

"They gave them to me to wish me luck." she replied.

"They gave you flowers to wish you luck?" he asked with a raised brow.

"That's right." she replied. Just then a man was passing by with a bouquet of red long stemmed roses. Luffy looked over and on impulse stretched out and snatched one without the man noticing.

He retracted his arm and then handed her the rose, "Here! I wanna wish you luck too!" he exclaimed with a huge grin and chuckle.

Nami looked at the offered rose and her cheeks took on a pink hue. "Luffy…" she said softly as she took the rose from his fingertips. This single but precious rose meant more to her, than a hundred bouquets from those other men. She brought the rose to her face and inhaled its lovely aroma. "Arigato, Luffy…" she said softly as she lifted her eyes and smiled at him through the rose.

Luffy scratched the back of his head and chuckled, a very slight blush staining his cheeks. "I was just heading back to my dressing room to change." she informed him as she turned and walked a little ways. Luffy stood where he was as she walked away and then blushed. Her outfit was really…revealing. Nami slightly turned her body towards him. "You coming?" she asked rose still to her face.

"Ha…hai…" he replied as he followed her, swallowing hard and trying to keep his gaze level as he did.

Just as they were reaching her room, she spoke, "I wanted you to look through some clothes they sent me to see what you wanted to wear for the last dance." she explained as she opened her door. They stepped inside, and Nami closed the door. "They're hanging right over there in that corner." she said as she pointed toward them.

Luffy looked in the direction she was pointing and then walked over to it. "I'm going to change now." she informed him as he had his back to her.

"Okay…" he replied as he began to sift through the clothes. He could hear movement and then clothes hitting the floor behind him. He gulped air as sweat began to bead down his face. He continued sifting through clothes until he came to a red long sleeve button up. It was the same color as his last one, except it had thin black stripes all down it. They were so thin that at a distance, they blended in with the rest of the shirt.

"I thought you might pick that one. There's also a black vest in there that I think would match perfect with that shirt." Luffy slightly jumped startled at her suddenly speaking. Without thinking he turned toward her. His eyes went huge. She was in the process of bringing her shirt down over her head, the bottom half of her breasts visible. A flashback of Bon Clay having revealed Nami's body to them came to his mind. She had beat Luffy down the most for that. He quickly turned around as sweat pour down his face.

However, he didn't turn quick enough. Nami had seen him turn back around. 'So he had seen, huh?' she thought with a smile. "Luffy…" she called sweetly. Luffy made a nervous noise but dared not respond or turn around. "Were you peeking, Luffy?" she asked in a teasing, seductive voice.

"N…n…no! Gomen!!! It was an accident!!" he responded loudly. He clenched his teeth as sweat poured down his face, expecting to be in a great deal of pain in a few seconds.

Nami grinned as she let out a small quiet giggle. She walked up behind him and almost leaning on him reached an arm beside his head. She could feel his body tense up, she was so near him. She reached out her arm and pulled out the vest she had spoken of. She held it up in front of him as she placed her other hand on his opposite shoulder, and pressed her body against his back. "See? It matches perfectly, doesn't it?" she asked quietly in his ear.

Luffy gulped a third time as his heart was racing in his chest, "A…aa…" he squeaked out as he looked at it.

Nami suddenly pulled away from him, "You can wear your black slacks and shoes with it. There's also a really nice silver tie I think would look really good with it all." she explained enthusiastically. Then she put the vest back. Luffy slowly and shakily put the shirt back. She smiled at that.

"Good! Now that that is out of the way, let's go find the others!" she exclaimed as she turned grabbed all her flowers and then opened the door to leave. Luffy followed her out as he took a deep breath. Nami continued smiling at him, 'How was _that_ for a reaction?!' she exclaimed to herself in her mind. She had to keep herself from giggling out loud.

As she closed the door and they turned to walk, they both noticed the others walking towards them. The others had spotted them too and were now making their way to them. "So this is where you disappeared to…" called Zoro as they approached.

"Aa… I came to find Nami." responded Luffy.

"Where did you guys just come out from?" asked a curious Chopper as he looked toward the door they had just exited from.

"Oh, that's my dressing room?" she explained to the little reindeer with a smile and no hesitation.

"NAN DA TOU?!" all the guys screamed.

Nami blinked with wide eyes at them. "Nani…?" she asked confused.

"You changed while Luffy was in there with you, Nami-san?!" asked Sanji in a half yell.

"Well, yeah. Since he found me, I wanted him to go ahead and pick out his clothes for the last dance. He had his back to me…most of the time…" she said this last part quietly as she only moved her eyes to look at him. She narrowed them and had a slight smirk on her face.

Luffy made a noise of disbelief as she said this and looked toward her, as sweat beaded around his face. Everyone looked at him, Sanji glaring. "Nami! Why did you have to say that?!" yelled Luffy at her.

Nami only burst out laughing. Everyone now looked at her. She was…_laughing_?! They all looked back at Luffy who was now glaring at Nami with clenched teeth. They couldn't help but notice he was unharmed. "What do you mean _most _of the time?" Sanji seethed as he began to stalk towards Luffy.

Nami held up a hand towards him and finally stopped laughing. "It was just an accident." she explained with a smile still on her face. Everyone gaped at her in disbelief. Now she was defending him?! 'What the hell?' they thought as they looked from one to the other. It would seem roles were reversed. Normally, Nami would be the one glaring, not Luffy. Luffy would have the goofy grin, not Nami. Not only that but Luffy would have a few bumps and bruises. However, he was unscathed.

Suddenly, everyone was jolted out of their confusion as they heard a woman yelling, "This isn't a dozen roses!! There are only eleven here!" they heard her yell. Everyone looked towards the angry woman.

"G…gomen nasai! There really were twelve when I left the shop!" a nervous looking man was explaining to her.

"Then where is the twelfth one?!" she yelled angrily.

"I…I don't know!" exclaimed the man nervously.

Everyone turned back to Luffy and Nami as they heard them both make surprised noises. They both had their mouths gaping as they stared at the woman. Then suddenly, they both had to stifle their merriment. The crew looked at the two with raised brows. Then they watched as Nami tried to hide a single rose amongst her other flowers. 'Nan da…?' they all thought. 'Was that the woman's missing rose? How did Nami get it?' they thought.

After Nami finished trying to conceal the rose she called out, "Lose something, Hanako?" she asked with slight bitterness in her voice. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Luffy had taken on a blank expression.

Hanako looked over in surprise and then smiled deviously, "Yes, actually. One of my roses has gone missing." she replied.

"Oh, I see…Well that's too bad…Sorry to hear that…" replied Nami without any real feeling.

"Of course…" responded Hanako unconvinced, "You know, I saw your dance." she said as she began walking towards them.

"Oh did you? Sorry though, can't say I saw yours." replied Nami with a half smirk.

Meji walked up behind Hanako with a smirk on his face. Hanako's devious smile widened, "I can't say a _lady _would _ever _dress or dance in such an inappropriate manner." she retorted. Nami glared at her.

Then Hanako looked at Luffy, "However, you _are _pirates after all. Do pirate _Captains_ usually allow their women to dance in such an inappropriate manner, and to dress so scantly?" she had sneered the word Captain. Luffy still had an expressionless face. However, Zoro noticed his tightly clenched fists.

"Indeed, I would _never_ allow my woman to dress or dance like such a tramp." sneered Meji.

"Nan da tou, kono yaro?!" yelled Sanji. However, before Sanji could even move, Luffy had sent a fist into the man's face knocking him a few feet away.

"Meji!!" cried Hanako as she ran to his side. A few seconds he sat up and put a hand to his nose, blood seeping through his fingers.

"I allowed this rude woman to say what she had to say, seeing as it was Nami's fight, and I would not interfere. However, the moment you opened your mouth, that was your mistake. No man talks to my Navigator that way…or _any_ of my Nakama for that matter!" seethed Luffy in a deathly quiet voice.

They were both looking up at Luffy in fear as he spoke. When he finished they both got up and ran. They could hear Hanako as they ran, "Why did you let him just hit you?! Why didn't you fight back?!" she half yelled at Meji.

"He hits hard! Look, my nose is bleeding! I think he broke it!" replied Meji as they turned a corner.

Nami looked up at Luffy in astonishment and a little admiration with slightly parted lips. He had stood up for her. He had hit the man just for him having called her a tramp. She found herself smiling as she slide an arm through his, "Shall we go back to the ship? I'm famished!" she exclaimed cheerfully. Luffy made a throaty noise as he looked down at Nami. Then she began dragging him along beside her as she made her way back to the ship.

Everyone else stared at the two retreating forms of their Navigator and Captain. They all had baffled expressions on their faces. 'What the hell was that just now?!' they thought. Robin only smiled at the retreating forms.

Then Nami stopped walking and turned, "You guys coming or what?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Ha…hai…" they answered as they followed.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **Meshi means food.

**2: **Nan demo nai translates to, "It's nothing."

**3: **"Mellorine! What a beautiful hana!" Here Sanji was referring to her name, Hanako. Hana is actually the Japanese word for Flower. So therefore, Sanji is calling her a flower. :D

**4: **Hooo is kinda a sound effect I have heard Zoro use before. Kinda referring to something like, "Oh, that's interesting."

**5: **Gomen nasai a more polite way of saying "I'm sorry." The more casual way is just "Gomen".

**6: **Kono Yaro translates to "You bastard." (So he insulted the guy for insulting Nami. :D)

**Author's Note: **A corner was actually needed this time:D So, I'm sure by now a lot of you are like, "What the hell is going on?!" as I expected a lot of you to be…MUWAHAHAHAHA!! That's all I have to say for now:PD Please review!! XD


	9. Chapter 9: An Unexpected Exchange

**Author's Note: **Here it is folks! Chapter 9! XD This is another, how you say…WTH (I refuse to use the F word even in abbreviation) chapter:D I hope you all enjoy it! XD If you have any question, you are welcome to PM me. Please review! Flames and criticism are welcome! Enjoy:P

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 9: An Unexpected Exchange**

Once everyone had gone back to the ship, Sanji had prepared a feast to celebrate Nami's victory. She had gotten the highest score, a 9.5. Everyone was drinking, eating, and having a great time. Everyone was making a great deal of noise, there was laughter, shouting, talking, and singing. Usopp was dancing around singing his Sharpshooter song, that he claims Sogeking taught him, as Chopper and Luffy were clapping and laughing with him.

Franky, Sanji, and Zoro were having a loud debate about which was most effective, swords, kicking, or an arm cannon. Sanji and Zoro were completely smashed, Franky had only consumed a lot of Cola, but he wanted to get his opinion across. Pretty soon a fight broke out between the three.

It was getting late and Nami had drunk quite a bit again. She needed to get rest for the next day's lessons. She got up from her chair, "Good night, guys. I need to get some rest for tomorrow morning. Remember Luffy, you have to come with me to Mora-sensei's tomorrow morning." Luffy nodded to her. She waved her hand once towards them and then turned towards the stairs to the women's quarters.

"Good night!" everyone called after her. Even Sanji stopped mid-fight to say good night. Luffy only sat where he was and watched her disappear inside the women's quarters.

As everyone was making a great deal of noise, Luffy got up and quietly began to make his way towards the stairs. Robin watched him as he got up and walked towards the stairs. "Luffy, where are you going?" asked Chopper.

Luffy turned and smiled toward him,"I'll be right back. There's something I forgot to talk to Nami about." he explained before turning and going up the stairs. Sanji had stopped fighting and was watching Luffy with a frown.

"Oi! Pay attention to your opponent, Magic Brows!" yelled Zoro as he swiped out a sword towards Sanji.

"Nan da tou, Baka Marimo?!" he yelled as he dodged Zoro's swords.

"That all you got, Question?!" yelled Zoro as he swiped at him again.

"Why you…" remarked Sanji as he dodged a second time.

Luffy approached the door to the women's quarters and knocked. Nami turned toward the door, a puzzled look on her face. 'Who would be knocking on my door? Can't be Robin, this is her room too.' she thought. "Who is it?" she finally asked.

"It's me, Luffy." he called through the door.

'Luffy?! What does he want?' she thought as she stared at the door. Her heart had skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. Now it seemed it was pounding. "Come in…" she finally said still looking towards the door. The door opened slowly and Luffy peeked his head in before entering. He quietly closed the door behind him and then turned towards her.

Nami felt very nervous. "Did you need something?" she asked trying to hide her nervousness.

"I…I wanted to talk to you about something…" he replied unsure.

Nami's heart again skipped a beat, 'Wanted to talk about something?!' she thought. Her heart was pounding harder. She was having trouble breathing. "Alright, what did you want to talk about?" she asked quietly.

Nami was sitting at the vanity that she and Robin shared. She had her body slightly turned towards Luffy, who was just standing a little ways from the door. Luffy began to walk a little further in and stopped just a few feet away from Nami. Nami thought her heart would burst from how fast and hard it was pounding.

This had been bothering him since he saw the reaction of the men in the crowd early and the insult that rude man had given. He didn't like either of them. He wasn't sure why he didn't like the first thing. He just didn't. "I…I wanted to talk about what that rude man had said…about you…" he said hesitantly.

"What about it?" asked Nami slightly confused as she furrowed her brows a bit.

"Well…he said it because of how you were dressed and the way you danced. There was also the way the crowd…had acted." he explained unsure as he lowered his gaze to the floor.

"What _about_ it, Luffy?" she asked a little more alarmed. She could feel herself growing a little annoyed as her brows furrowed further.

"Did you really have to dress and dance like that?" he finally asked as he looked into her eyes.

Nami made a throaty noise in surprise as she stared at Luffy. He had such a serious expression on his face. Her first reaction was surprise, and then it turned into annoyance. "What do you mean, did I _have _to?!" she said in a raised voice. "Luffy, I am trying to win this contest!" she state loudly.

"But Nami, do you really have to dress and dance like that to do it?!" asked Luffy in an equally loud voice.

"Luffy, what do you care how I dress or dance?! Who do you think you are?!" She was now yelling at him.

Luffy found himself becoming angry at her raised voice, "First of all, I'm your Captain! Didn't you hear what that rude woman said to me? What kind of Captain would I be if I let you do that, and then have people say horrible things like that about you?! Maybe if you hadn't dressed and danced like that, they wouldn't have said such horrible things!!" he yelled back at her.

'Unbelievable!' she seethed in her mind. "Oh, I get it…So, I made the _Captain_ look bad! You had to stick up for me because I'm such a tramp! Well, I'm so sorry to have inconvenienced you!! No one asked you to do that for me!!" she yelled.

"Chigau!" he said in a calmer voice but still loud.

However, he was interrupted. "You know I saw the way you looked today! You know what? I know what this is about!! You're just jealous! You're no better than Sanji!!!" she screamed at him.

Luffy had forgotten about trying to explain himself, at her hurtful words. He found he was now angry, "Nan da tou?!" he yelled.

"You heard me!!" she yelled back.

Luffy clenched his teeth and scowled at her, "I am NOTHING like him!!! I don't flirt with anything female as long as it _looks_ good, and I don't stupidly ogle half naked women!! But if that's what you like, then I DON'T CARE!!!" he screamed at her. Nami got out of her chair quickly, stomping towards him, and then slapped him hard across the face.

Luffy slowly put a hand to his cheek and turned back to face her, teeth clenched and scowl still in place. Tears began to form in her eyes, "Get…out…" she whispered in a venomous voice. Luffy immediately realized his mistake and regretted it. His scowl turned into a frown as he turned and stomped out, slamming the door behind him. He could immediately hear her quiet sobs as he stomped over to the railing. He jumped down to the grassy deck below and kept going, ignoring the concerned stares of the others, and didn't stop until he was sitting rigidly atop of Sunny's head.

He had his arms and legs crossed as he sat uncomfortably rigid. He had a deep frown on his face. He was still pretty upset about what had just happened. Then his frown turned into sadness as his shoulders drooped. He had made his Navigator cry. He had broken his promise to Gen-san. He had taken away her smile. He hadn't meant to though. However, her words had angered and upset him. He was slightly confused at his outburst. What had possessed him to say those things? He had said some pretty stupid things back there. It reminded him of his fight with Usopp. Usopp had angered him and he was about to say stupid things, however, Sanji had stopped him. However, it was different this time. He didn't understand.

He had lost his temper for the second time at a Nakama. His eyes drooped in sadness as he slumped forward. He had made her cry…Didn't he beat Arlong for the very same offense? Yet here he had gone and made her cry. "I'm such an idiot…" he whispered quietly to himself as he closed his eyes. Maybe he should have waited until they weren't so tired…and intoxicated.

----

After Luffy had disappeared inside the women's quarters, the party had continued. However, their laughter and fighting had stopped at hearing the two's raised voices from inside. They couldn't hear what was said, but they could tell there were angry words being exchanged. They were surprised at seeing Luffy storming out of the women's quarters in anger. They all looked at him in concern wondering what had upset him so much. He completely ignored them however, and stomped over to Sunny's head and sat atop it.

The party had been ruined. Sanji collected all of the dishes and took them to the kitchen to clean up. Zoro and the others exchanged glances. Zoro nodded to the others and they nodded in return. Leaving Luffy alone, they all walked towards the Aquarium Room.

Everyone followed Zoro inside. Once everyone stepped inside, Zoro closed the door and then leaned on it. Robin walked over to the circular sofa that made its way around the aquarium and sat down. Usopp and Chopper sat on the floor, while Franky leaned against the wall.

Zoro crossed his arms as he leaned on the door and looked towards the others, "So, who wants to go first?" he asked as he looked at each of his Nakama.

Everyone recapped on all the events that had unfolded since the night of Luffy and Nami's first talk. Usopp was hesitant, but he spilled everything he knew, from his and Nami's conversation in her room to Luffy's scary face on deck that day. He felt like he was betraying them, but he guessed it needed to come out. "So you figured she would use Luffy to make the Love-cook jealous?" asked Zoro as he looked down at Usopp.

"Aa…" he replied with a nod and his eyes downcast.

"And what's with the look you said he had on deck earlier?" asked Franky.

"I…I don't know…I have only seen him use such a scary face when he was in a fight." explained Usopp.

"When did you see him use it?" asked Zoro.

"I think…I think it was right after what Sanji said." replied Usopp with a puzzled face and his hand to his chin.

"Anyone remember what the Love-Cook said when he came out?" asked Zoro as he looked at the others.

"I believe he said, '"Are we ready to see Nami-swan's exotic dance of love?"'" stated Robin seriously.

"Actually…yeah…that's exactly what he said…" replied Usopp as he turned to look at Robin.

"Why would that bother Luffy?" asked Zoro confused.

"I…I don't know…" replied Usopp puzzled.

"Also are they working together to make the Love-Cook jealous?" asked Zoro.

"We have seen them do some pretty weird things." commented Chopper. "Like earlier, Luffy lying in front of Nami. Then there was this morning. When they were both in my infirmary, they did something kind of weird. Nami kind of made a big deal about drinking out of the same cup as Luffy." he continued.

"You mean like, she refused to do it?" asked Franky.

"Actually…no…She gave him a weird look before drinking out of it. He only smiled like he was satisfied about something. It was a little confusing…Then they both left. Then there was when she approached him during our card game. She brought up about the cup then too." explained Chopper.

"O…kay…What's the big deal about drinking out of the same cup?" asked Zoro with a raised brow.

"A second hand kiss, perhaps?" replied Robin.

Everyone looked towards her. "A…a what?!" asked Usopp loudly.

Robin only smiled and shrugged. "No…that can't possibly be it…Maybe sharing germs or something? Maybe Luffy was daring her or something?" commented Zoro. Robin's smile only broadened. "They have been acting weird ever since the banquet. Maybe something happened there?" said Zoro.

"Yeah but, they started hanging out after we landed. I think it might have something to do with the two conversations they had. I wish I knew what they talked about. I wonder why Nami wouldn't tell us…Luffy never says a word about things. I'm actually surprised Nami was even able to talk to him." commented Usopp.

"Yeah…but their behavior didn't become weird until after the banquet." replied Zoro.

"Yeah there was also Nami-onesan's dance…What was with the look on Luffy-aniki's face. He looked like he was in some kind of trance. It was kinda….uncomfortable." commented Franky with slight quivering at the memory.

"Yeah that was a little odd…I wonder what the hell is going on?!" replied Zoro loudly. "There was also when we had found them after the festival. What was with her taking him inside her dressing room?" he continued.

"Yeah, that and she actually _laughed_ about his peeking, and then defended him saying it was an accident! That's not like Nami at all…" commented Usopp.

"That and Luffy looked like he was mad at Nami for telling on him." added Chopper. "Isn't Nami usually the mad one, and Luffy the one laughing it off?" he continued.

"Yeah…that was pretty weird…" replied Zoro.

"There was also that rose Nami-onesan had. We all have to agree it was that angry lady's rose. How did she get it? I doubt she took it, so did Luffy-aniki? But then why would Luffy-aniki give Nami-onesan a rose?" added Franky.

"Yeah that was also weird. I can't see Luffy giving anyone a flower…" replied Zoro.

"Navigator-san did mention when we returned that they were given to her to wish her luck on her next performances. Perhaps Captain-san wanted to wish her luck as well." commented Robin.

"Yeah…that makes sense…" replied Zoro.

"However, this still doesn't explain why they seem like two different people. There is also the argument they just had. Why would they argue about something? And what did they argue about?" asked Zoro.

"Who knows…Maybe Nami said the wrong things? I said the wrong things to Luffy during our fight. He lost his temper because of it. Maybe that's what happened…" commented Usopp.

"Yeah…maybe…" replied Zoro. "Then there is also the Love-Cook, he seems pretty mad about the two spending so much time together."

"Sanji is jealous that's for sure…He does seem to favor Nami. Maybe he's interested in her?" replied Usopp.

"Interested in a bad way…I'm sure…" commented Franky.

"Nami isn't interested in that Ahou…He's a moron! No woman in their right mind would go for a Love crazy Ahou like him." replied Zoro.

"So, what are we going to do about this?" asked Robin quietly.

"I don't know…" replied Zoro. Everyone else looked confused.

"I think we should leave them alone, let things play out." suggested Robin.

"I agree…We will just see where this goes…We might make things worse if we interfere." said Zoro. Everyone nodded in agreement. Zoro turned and opened the door and the crew began to exit one by one. Robin was the last to reach the door. "By the way Robin, have you found anything out on this island and this festival?" asked Zoro.

Robin turned towards him, "Actually…no, I haven't. I have looked, but I can't find any information on it. It strikes me as a little odd." she replied.

Zoro nodded, "Let me know if you find out anything." he said. Robin nodded and continued out, Zoro following behind her. Everyone had gone their separate ways. Usopp went to sleep, Chopper went into his infirmary Robin went into the women's quarters, and Franky had gone into the crow's nest. Zoro stayed on deck and was watching Luffy, who was still sitting atop of Sunny's head.

Suddenly, Sanji emerged of the kitchen and stood next to him. "I wonder what they fought about…" he said quietly.

"Don't know…" replied Zoro.

"He better not have upset Nami-san!" he seethed as he stared at Luffy's back.

Zoro turned and glared at him, "What about Luffy? For all we know it might have been the other way around! Nami has a really bad temper, or have you not noticed?!" he seethed towards Sanji. Zoro didn't give Sanji a chance to retort, "Why are you so angry at Luffy anyways? What did he ever do to you?" he continued finally fed up with Sanji's ill behavior towards Luffy.

Sanji didn't reply he only continued to stare at Luffy as he took a drag from his cigarette. "The way you flirt with other women, you have no right to be angry with him. Do you honestly think Nami would go for an Ahou like you?!" he continued to berate Sanji.

Sanji narrowed his eyes and turned the other way, "Che!" he replied but said nothing else.

"Luffy doesn't deserve how you've treated him! After all he has done for us, _and_ for you! If by some _weird_, and seemingly impossible, miracle that's he interested in Nami and same goes for Nami, however crazy that might be, who are we to deny that?!" he said, finally finishing his tirade.

Sanji had surprisingly remained quiet the entire time. 'He was right…' However much he hated to have to agree with the Marimo. He was right…Sanji only nodded before walking towards Sunny's front. He flicked his cigarette overboard and disappeared into the men's sleeping quarters.

Zoro quietly approached Sunny's head. He turned and leaned up against it, crossing his arms, and closing his eyes. Zoro had a great deal of respect for his Captain, even though he may not always show it. He always supported any decision he ever made, because he believed in him. _If_ by some crazy miracle he was interested in their Navigator, he would support that too. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to. He knew Luffy was aware of his presence, and if he needed him, he was right there for him.

They stayed like that for awhile in silence. Finally, Luffy stood up. Zoro opened his eyes at hearing him stand. After standing there for a few seconds, Luffy finally turned and jumped down. He stood next to Zoro for awhile, eyes concealed under his hat. "Arigato…Zoro…" he said quietly.

Zoro only nodded and then the two disappeared into the men's sleeping quarters for sleep.

----

That morning, everyone was up for breakfast except for Luffy and Nami. When they guys had woken up that morning, Luffy had only turned over and had not gotten up. They had all frowned but left the room to go over for breakfast. Now everyone was sitting in the dining room. They all turned toward where Luffy usually sat and frowned. Finally after awhile, Luffy walked in and plopped down hard in his spot. His eyes were concealed under his hat. He sat for awhile before finally grabbing for some food and placing it in his plate. He seemed to stare at it for awhile before finally beginning to eat, slowly. Everyone frowned at that but continued to eat anyway.

Suddenly Nami walked into the dining room. Everyone had a deep frown as they turned toward her. She was all smiles and sunshine. Luffy had a surprised expression before looking back down at his plate, he was no longer eating.

"Good morning…Nami-san…" greeted Sanji quietly.

"Good morning, Sanji-kun!" she greeted in return with her brightest smile. Luffy looked up quickly toward her, with huge eyes and slightly parted lips.

"Would you be a dear and get me some of my fresh squeezed mikan juice, please?" she asked in her sweetest voice, with her bright smile.

"H…hai, Nami-san…" replied Sanji with a slight frown. Sanji may be an Ahou at times. However, he knew something was wrong.

"Thank you!" she replied gleefully. Then she turned towards the others, "Good morning!" she greeted to them. However, she had totally ignored Luffy. By now he had his head down and eyes completely concealed. He couldn't handle it. He slowly got up and walked out of the dining room. Everyone watched him leave in surprise. Then there surprise was replaced with frowns.

Nami watched in surprise as Luffy walked out. She had not expected this kind of reaction. Then she was even more surprised when Sanji calmly followed Luffy out, with a concerned look on his face. She looked down at her plate. Then she looked back up towards the others. They all wore looks of disappointment, even Robin. She had never felt so rotten. She lowered her head again and she could feel the tears forming. She couldn't prevent them. She quickly got up and ran out of the dining room.

----

Sanji made his way over to Luffy, who was seated atop of Sunny's head. He stopped next to the railing that was beside Sunny's head and removed his cigarette box. He put a new one in his mouth and lit it. As he took his first drag, he heard a noise behind him. He quickly turned to see Nami running out of the dining room. He frowned as he watched her disappear into the women's quarters. He turned back to look up towards Luffy, who had also been watching Nami run out. He had a look of sadness on his face before turning back toward the horizon.

Sanji joined Luffy's gaze. "I'm sorry…" Sanji quickly looked up towards Luffy in surprise. "It doesn't feel good to be ignored…" Luffy continued quietly.

Sanji looked away and smiled while letting out a small chortle, "Baka!" Luffy looked down at Sanji in surprise, "I'm the one who's suppose to apologize. I'm not sure what's come over me these past few days. I…I've never really been…jealous before…At least…not seriously. I was angry, and I couldn't control it. I've been a real jerk, so…sorry about that." explained Sanji.

Luffy continued to stare at Sanji in surprise, and then he smiled down at him, "It's okay! Don't worry about it!" exclaimed Luffy with a grin.

Sanji gave another small chortle, "You're to forgiving, you Bastard…" he replied with a grin and his eyes closed. Then his smile disappeared and he opened his eyes, "You should go talk to her…" he said quietly.

Luffy's smile immediately disappeared as he looked back towards the horizon, "A lot of good that did me last night…" he replied with a humorless chuckle.

Sanji looked up towards him, "It will be different this time…" he said with confidence.

Luffy looked down at him in surprise. Sanji smiled up at Luffy. Luffy returned his smile and nodded, "Aa!" he exclaimed as he got up and jumped down. "Yosh!" he said for confidence as he walked over towards the women's quarters. Sanji watched him with a smile then he took his last drag, flicked the cigarette overboard and then walked back to the kitchen.

Luffy approached Nami's door and raised his hand to knock. Just before he knocked he hesitated. His hand lowered a bit and he looked down, "What if she won't talk to me…?" he whispered to himself. Then he furrowed his brows and raised his head, "I'm no coward!" he whispered vehemently to himself before raising his hand and knocked.

Nami was sitting on her bed, knees raised to her chest. She had cried herself to sleep last night and now it seemed she was crying again. Why it hurt so much?…She wasn't sure… Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. She looked over toward the door in surprise. 'Who could it be now?' she thought to herself. "Who is it?" she finally asked in a tearful voice.

Luffy frowned and clenched his teeth at hearing her tearful voice. "It's me…Nami…Can we talk…please?" he asked quietly through the door.

Nami was surprised to hear his voice. She quickly wiped away her tears and slightly turned away from the door. "Come in…" she finally replied. Luffy quietly opened the door and looked inside. He saw her sitting with her knees to her chest on her bed. His face turned sad as he stepped in and closed the door quietly behind him.

He stood in silence for awhile not sure what to say. He figured an apology first was the best thing. "Nami…I'm sorry…" he said quietly with his head lowered.

Nami looked towards him quickly in surprise. "I didn't mean to make you mad last night…I…I was just worried. I didn't like what those rude people said…is all." he explained quietly. Nami continued to stare at him in surprise. Then he looked up into her eyes, "They don't even know you! They don't know what an amazing person you are! They don't know how strong and smart you are! I just…I just didn't like what the said about you!" he explained loudly.

She was surprised at the force in his voice as he said this. It seemed almost passionate. As if…as if he meant every word with everything that he was. 'So that is what he meant to say to me last night…I should not have gotten so made at this person…'she thought to herself. She could feel the tears forming. However, she blinked them away. "It's okay…I'm sorry too…" she said softly and then she smiled at him. However, when she smiled a single tear slowly glided down her cheek.

Luffy made a surprised noise as he watched the tear. Then his face turned to sadness. He walked up to her, slowly lifted an arm, and wiped away her tear from chin to eye with the back of his index finger. Nami stared at him wide eyed with slightly parted lips. He looked down at her with his sad face, "I'm so sorry…I made you cry…I beat Arlong for this same reason,…but here I made you cry…" he said quietly down to her.

He looked so sad by just having made her cry. His gentle touch and closeness made her heart race. She was touched by his sadness, by his just having made her cry. She stared up at him for awhile before she smiled warmly up at him. She slowly got up and stepped into him as she wrapped her arms round his neck and placed her head on his shoulder. Luffy made a surprised noise and tensed up at her sudden action.

"It's okay, Luffy…Don't worry about it. You're _nothing_ like Arlong." she replied quietly. Luffy's face softened as he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him in a tight embrace. They stayed like that for awhile, Nami not wanting to let go of Luffy, and Luffy not wanting to let go of Nami.

Finally, and reluctantly Nami loosened her hold as she slightly moved away to look into his face. "We should probably go eat breakfast so we can go…We are already running late." she said quietly with a smile.

"Aa…" he replied just as quietly before releasing his hold on her. She pulled away and stepped beside him as she walked past him to the door. She opened it and turned toward him and smiled before stepping out, Luffy following along behind her.

They both walked into the dining room, smiles on their faces. Luffy immediately sat down and continued eating, not minding that the food had turned slightly cold. Nami too sat down and began to eat. Everyone looked from one to the other.

"So…is every thing okay now?" asked Zoro as he looked at Nami.

Nami looked up at him, "Un!" she replied with a smile and a nod. "It was just a misunderstanding." she explained as she continued to eat. Everyone looked at her for awhile before looking back toward Luffy. He was happily eating his food like he normal does with a smile on his face. Zoro just shrugged as he sat where he was.

After Luffy was finished eating, Nami stood up, "You ready to go, Luffy?" she asked as she smiled over to him.

"Yup!" he replied as he got up from his seat. Everyone watched as the two headed for the door.

"See you guys later." Nami said to the others as they walked out.

"Later!" replied Usopp and Chopper.

"I wonder what they even argued about…?" asked Usopp to no one in particular.

"Me too…" replied Chopper.

"Don't know and it doesn't matter. It was a misunderstanding. They were able to fix it and that's all the matters." stated Zoro with his eyes closed and arms crossed.

"Do you really feel that way…?" asked Usopp, Chopper, and Franky while they narrowed their eyes at him.

"Of course I do!" yelled Zoro with his eyes still closed as his right eyebrow twitched.

"I wonder what kind of dance Mora-san is going to teach them…?" asked Sanji from the kitchen.

"Who knows? All I know, is we get to see it tomorrow and I can't wait. This is going to be good." replied Zoro with a smirk.

----

Luffy and Nami walked in silence to Mora-sensei's class. Nami looked over at Luffy. He was walking with his hands in his pockets and a blank expression on his face. She found herself thinking that not too long ago, he had had his arms around her. She blushed and looked away. She was nervous about the lessons they were about to take…very nervous. She had danced with other men before, but none had made her nervous or sick to her stomach. She was still confused about her feelings. It was like sometimes, he made her feel sick. 'Wasn't being sick a bad thing?' Nami scrunched up her nose at this thought.

They finally made their way to Mora's class and made their way inside. "Nami-san! Luffy-san! It's good to see you again, Luffy-san!" greeted Mora with a smile as soon as they walked in.

"Aa." replied Luffy as he bowed to her.

"Are we ready to get started?!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Un." stated Nami with a smile and a nod.

Mora turned to Luffy, his face was still expressionless. He only nodded. "Good! I want to introduce my dancing assistant, Bairon." She introduced a giant of a man that neither had even realized was in the room. He stepped forward and stiffly bowed. He had an overly serious expression on his face. He was very tall, well built with broad shoulders, and a small waist. He had black hair that had long spikes coming out the top of his head. He had black eyes, a long pointed nose, thin lips, and a double cleft chin. He wore black slacks with a dark turquoise colored, long sleeve, button up shirt, and a black tie. Nami thought he looked familiar, but shrugged it off.

"We will demonstrate the main steps of the dance, and instruct you on how you will approach one another. We will instruct step for step and then you will imitate us, okay?" instructed Mora with a smile.

"Alright." agreed Nami as she and Luffy sat on their knees on the floor to watch. They watched as Mora walked a little ways away from Bairon and then faced him.

"Luffy-san you will raise your arm for Nami-san as soon as the curtains are opened." instructed Mora, as soon as she said this Bairon raised his hand for her. "Nami-san you will smile at Luffy-san." she instructed as she smiled at Bairon. "Then you will approach Luffy-san." she continued as she slowly approached Bairon. Then she raised her hand and brought it near his and hesitated. "A crowd loves hesitance. It adds character. Do not immediately place your hand in his. Then you will slowly place your hand in his." As soon as she placed her hand in Bairon's, his hand immediately closed around hers and he forcefully pulled in to him.

A sweat bead dropped on the side of both Luffy and Nami's face. "As soon as Luffy-san pulls you to him the dance will immediately start as well as the music. We will dance without music to just show you the steps." she said. Then they started their dance.

'We have a problem…' thought Nami to herself as sweat beaded down her face.

After Mora and Bairon's demonstration, Mora turned to them, "Now it's your turn!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Luffy looked towards Nami. He had a pained expression on his face. If Nami weren't just as concerned, she might have found it humorous. "Uh…you don't really expect us to…dance…like that…do you?" asked Nami nervously.

"Of course, Come, Come! There is no reason to be nervous!" exclaimed Mora with a big smile.

Nami looked back at Luffy who had sweat beading down his face and furrowed brows. She gave him a lopsided smile and got up. Luffy said nothing and got up with her. Mora and Bairon walked off the floor.

"I will play music for you to make it easier on you." explained Mora.

Nami nodded to her. They both walked onto the floor, Nami a few feet away from Luffy. She didn't immediately face him. She stayed looking at the floor for awhile before finally turning to face him. She watched as he took a deep breath, and then slowly raised a hand for her. Her heart race quickened as he did this. She smiled at him, like Mora had instructed, and then slowly walked up to him. She slowly raised her hand and hesitated before placing her hand in his. His palms were sweaty. She looked into his eyes as he closed his hand around hers and then pulled her to him. She inhaled sharply as her body touched his. She didn't remove her eyes from his.

Mora started the music, which as their queue to begin their dance. They began imitating the dance Mora had demonstrated for them. Luffy was far too nervous. His nervousness made him clumsy and he almost immediately stepped on Nami's foot. "Ow!" she cried as she doubled over from the pain.

"I…I'm sorry!" cried Luffy nervously. Then he frowned. "Nami…I…I'm not sure I will be able to do this…" he whispered for only her to hear.

Nami quickly looked up into his face, "Luffy what do you mean?" she whispered back with a frown.

"I'm not very good at it…" he whispered back.

"Luffy, you're just nervous, it's okay. So am I. Besides, since when has Monkey D. Luffy ever given up?" she whispered vehemently back.

Luffy made a throaty noise in surprise. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to do this. It was harder than fighting a strong opponent. He furrowed his brows.

"Come on Luffy. Do this for me, please!" she whispered as she looked him in the eyes. Luffy furrowed his brows deeper, but nodded. Nami smiled up at him, "Thanks, Luffy." she whispered. Then she looked towards Mora, "Sorry, we're ready to try again." she said with a nervous smile. Mora smiled brightly in return and nodded. They got back into position and tried again…and again…

----

After they were finished with the lesson they walked outside. "Are you sure you want to wait for me, Luffy?" asked Nami who was standing just outside the door of Mora's class.

"Aa…I thought I would go look around at the nearby shops until you were done." he said with a blank expression.

"You don't have to, you know. You can go back to the ship. I'm sure you're hungry by now." she said with a sideways frown.

Luffy smiled, "Its okay. I'll wait. I can always get something to eat. I still have some money left." he said as he held up some bellis he pulled out of his pocket.

"Alright, I'll come find you when I'm done, okay? I should only be about an hour longer." she said with a smile.

"Aa!" he exclaimed with a grin. Then she turned and went back inside. Luffy's grin disappeared as she went back inside. Then he turned and looked at all the shops.

He spotted a barbeque shop and his grin returned. He ran off towards it. There was a familiar ossan standing behind the counter. He looked up as Luffy approached and then grinned. "It's you again!" he exclaimed.

Luffy blinked confusedly at the ossan. "A…aa…" he replied.

"You bought a bunch of meat from me last night during the festival!" he explained.

Luffy grinned as he recognized the ossan, "Ah! That's right! I remember now!" he exclaimed.

The ossan laughed, "What can I get for ya today?!" he asked enthusiastically.

"I'll take ten again!" exclaimed Luffy just as enthusiastically.

The ossan laughed heartily again, "Coming right up!" he exclaimed as he began cooking up Luffy's order. After he was done barbequing the meat he handed them all to Luffy. Luffy accepted them greedily as he drooled. He pulled out the pouch with his other hand to pay the man. "I will give you the tenth one free since you have bought so much from me. From yesterday and from today!" explained the ossan.

"Really?! Thanks!!" exclaimed Luffy happily. He paid the ossan and grinned. "Thanks again ossan! Ja ne!" he said as he began to walk away.

"It was good doing business with you! Come again!" hollered the ossan with a grin.

"Okay!" called Luffy over his shoulder with a grin. Luffy gobbled up all his meat and then began walking from shop to shop as he looked around. He didn't wander to far from Mora's class. He only visited the shops near by. He visited a shop where an ossan was selling a lot of knick knacks and other various items he found interesting. He played with each one as the ossan explained how they worked with a smile on his face. Then he visited a shop that sold candy and bought some.

He was eating it when he walked out and noticed a small machine just outside. He knelt down and looked at what was inside. There were some plastic bubbles with items inside it. A little girl, around five walked up beside him. "Are you going to buy one?" she asked him innocently.

He looked up at her with a blank expression. "Buy one?" he questioned.

"Yes buy one!" she giggled at him. "You put a five belli coin inside and it gives you a prize!" she exclaimed gleefully.

Luffy looked back down at the machine. "What kind of prize?" he asked her.

She giggled again, "You'll never know. It's a surprise each time!" she exclaimed gleefully again.

Luffy smiled up at the girl, "Okay! Here goes!" he said as he pulled out some coins from his pocket and put a five belli coin inside the machine. He turned the metal knob and a small plastic bubble came out.

"What did you get?!" asked the girl excitedly.

Luffy opened the bubble. It was a small pink heart ring. The little girl giggled at it. Luffy leaned closer to her, "I don't suppose I could wear this, huh?" he asked her with a grin.

The little girl laughed gleefully at this, "No! You're a boy!" she exclaimed loudly with a big smile.

Luffy smiled at the girl, "Here, you can have it." he said as he handed the little girl the ring.

She looked at it with wide eyes, "You really mean it?!" she asked in amazement.

"Aa!" replied Luffy with a grin.

"Arigato!" she exclaimed happily as she took it, hugged Luffy, and then ran off. Luffy had made a surprised noise at the small girl's hugging him and then she was gone.

Luffy looked back at the machine. He put another five belli coin inside and turned the metal knob. Another small plastic bubble came out. He picked it up and opened it. A bracelet fell out. He picked it up off the ground and held it out in the palm of his hand. He made a surprised noise. There was a small charm on it. It was a mikan. He stared at it for awhile before putting it back in the bubble and sticking it in his pocket.

He stood up straight and began his walk back to Mora's class. It had already been about an hour. He supposed he should go back and wait for Nami to be finished. He made it to the building and then leaned on the outside wall of it. He still had his hands in his pockets. He rolled the small bubble on his fingers and looked down at the ground.

He had noticed the weird feelings he had been getting. They really confused him. He had realized he had started getting the feelings after his and Nami's second conversation. He still wasn't sure what the feelings meant. Sometimes, he felt sick around Nami, but he knew he wasn't sick. The feelings had gotten much stronger after the night of the banquet. He stopped rolling the bubble on his fingers and pulled his hands out of his pockets. He crossed them and furrowed his brows. He didn't understand what was going on…

Nami walked out of Mora's class and looked around. She spotted Luffy a small distance away. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked like he was deep in thought. 'I wonder what he's thinking about?' she thought as she looked at him.

She quietly approached him and stopped a little ways away from him. "Luffy…" she called to him quietly.

He jolted upright and looked towards her, "Oh…Nami you're done…" he said.

"Un…" she replied with a smile and a nod.

Luffy found himself sticking his hands in his pockets. He toyed with the bubble a little.

"You ready to go?" she asked him.

"Aa." he replied and pulled his hands out of his pockets.

They both began to walk back towards the ship. "Did you get something to eat?" she asked looking over at him as they walked.

"Aa! The ossan gave me free meat for buying so much from him yesterday!" he exclaimed.

"Really? Well, that was nice of him." she said with a smile.

"Aa!" agreed Luffy.

"I'm kind of hungry myself now…" she said as she put a hand to her stomach.

"Really?! Want me to get you some? I'll be right back!" he called as he took off for the ossan's meat shop.

"Matte, Lu…ffy…" she had called out but he was already gone. She smiled warmly as he approached the shop where the ossan had his barbeque, with a huge grin on his face. The man grinned back at Luffy as Luffy asked for more meat. Then the ossan laughed heartily. Luffy grinned happily at the ossan as he was handed two pieces of meat. He paid for the meat and waved at the ossan as he came back to Nami. The ossan waved back laughing.

"Here! The ossan gave me another free one!" he exclaimed happily as he handed her one.

Nami took the offered meat and smiled at Luffy with an appreciative smile, "Arigato… Luffy." she said warmly. Luffy's grin got wider and then he took a bite from his meat. They began the walk back to the ship side by side as they ate their meat.

----

They made their way back to the ship. Licking their fingers, they began the climb aboard. As soon as they stepped on the grassy deck, Zoro spoke, "So…how'd he do?" he asked with an obnoxious smirk.

"Well…it's nothing a little practice can't fix." she replied with a raised brow. Luffy turned to her with narrowed eyes. She smiled back at him.

"That bad, huh?" asked Usopp.

Luffy kept his eyes narrowed as he walked in front of Nami, a short distance and then let himself fall backwards onto Sunny's grassy lawn. "Aww, come on Luffy. It wasn't that bad…" said Nami with a slight laugh.

"I can't handle that dance…" he remarked quietly.

"Is it really that hard?!" asked Chopper in amazement.

"You can say that…" replied Luffy quietly and lazily.

"It was…difficult, but Luffy, do you really think it's something you can't handle? I know you almost gave up on me back there…but still…I know it's something that is definitely possible to master with practice. Why do you think it's something you can't handle?" asked Nami confused.

Luffy only moved his eyes to look towards her, and then he quickly looked away and turned on his side facing away from everyone. Nami made a throaty noise in surprise. She had seen the nervousness in that gaze before he had turned away. Then her surprise turned into a smug smile, "Oh…I see…Then I guess you're right…Maybe it is too much for you to handle…Too bad…" she said teasingly with her smug smile still in place as she turned to walk way. She stopped walking and grinned as she heard him make a noise of disbelief and the sound of the grass as he sat up. She turned only her torso to look back at him with raised brows, and she continued smiling at him with the smug smile.

He was scowling at her. They stared at one another for awhile. 'So he _was_ a guy after all…' she thought to herself. Not that she had any doubts in his interest in women. He was just good at not showing it. "I can handle anything…" he finally said in a low voice in his defense.

Nami continued to smile at him as they continued to stare at one another for awhile. Then Nami finally spoke, "Good! I would hate to lose my money because…you…can't…handle…it…" she said in a teasing voice as she smiled at him shamelessly. Luffy's scowl deepened as he pursed his lips at her. Everyone looked on with slight discomfort. The two's odd behavior had been putting them in that position often.

Nami's smile turned into a grin and then she winked at Luffy. He made a loud noise of disbelief before letting himself fall back on his side facing away from everyone. Nami burst out laughing at his reaction.

Luffy clenched and ground his teeth at her laughter. He couldn't lose like this. Somehow her laughter made him feel like a loser. Then he smiled as an idea came to him. He sat up and turned to her as she laughed. "Ne…" he called with a roguish grin. Nami stopped laughing and looked at him. Her smiled immediately vanished at seeing his smile. His smile was…unnerving. It made her heart race and her knees weak.

He slowly got up from the grass and just as slowly made his way to her. She involuntarily took a step back in alarm as he approached her. She gulped as sweat beaded down her face. 'That…smile…' she thought to herself. Her eyes were on that smile as he neared her. When he finally stopped he was standing close to her…very close. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She finally and hesitantly looked into his eyes. Her breath got caught in her throat.

"How about we show them the dance, so they can see for themselves how difficult it is?" he offered in a very low voice but loud enough for everyone to hear. A shiver ran up and down her spine at the sound of his voice and the look on his face. His eyes had become slightly hooded and the roguish smile seemed to be glued to his lips.

Sweat also began to bead down everyone else's faces. Robin only looked on with immense interest at the two's provocative behavior. Nami now found herself in the uncomfortable seat. She had no idea Luffy was capable of fighting back in such a manner. Not to mention, it was equally good if not better than her. Luffy then slowly raised his hand and held it out to her, as his grin turned more roguish.

Nami backed away from him slightly stumbling, but grateful her legs worked. Her brows furrowed in disbelief, "You must be joking?!" she yelled, also glad her voice worked.

Luffy burst out laughing. It was now his turn to laugh. He turned back around and walked over to the spot he was in, before he had come over to her. He let himself fall onto the grass. He leaned on his elbow and held up his head with his hand still laughing.

Nami made a throaty noise in surprise as she stared at Luffy's back in shock. Then her expression turned to anger, 'Unbelievable!' she seethed to herself in her mind. She stomped over to him and pounded a fist into his rubber head. It didn't faze him at all. He continued to laugh.

Nami continued to stare down at him angrily, and then she smiled impishly, "That's okay…You still have to perform it tomorrow." she said maliciously.

Luffy stopped laughing. He looked up at her and began picking his nose with his pinky finger, "So do you…" he stated simply.

Nami grit her teeth at his remark, "Hmph!" she mumbled as she turned around nose in the air. "I'm going to take a shower." she said as she began to stomp away from him.

Luffy pulled his finger out as he watched her walk away and smiled at her back. He turned back around and continued to lean on his hand. His heart was pounding. He put a hand to his chest and took a deep breath.

Everyone watched as she disappeared into the observation room, and then turned back toward Luffy, who had his back to everyone. "Yare, yare…" remarked Robin quietly with her hand to her chin.

Looks like Luffy had finally had enough of Nami's teasing and had started fighting back. However, who would have thought that Luffy was capable of such provocative behavior. Then again he was a fast learner. Zoro grinned to himself, 'Serves her right…She was playing with fire. She was bound to get burned.' he thought to himself.

Sanji took a drag of his cigarette, and then he couldn't help but smile. He had to admit Luffy's behavior was abnormal and unexpected, but he had hit the nail right on the head. Very nicely done, he found he was actually proud of his Captain. He did feel sorry for Nami and was about to come to her rescue, but he just rekindled his friendship with Luffy. Whatever was going on between them was between them. He decided it best if he tried not to interfere. No matter how much he might want to. After all, Luffy didn't really hurt her. 'They were just teasing each other, right?' he thought as he furrowed his brows slightly. Besides, he had found himself completely transfixed on the events that just took place. Luffy was acting unusual and he found he couldn't help but to watch.

Usopp was worried…very worried. 'What is wrong with my Nakama?' he thought to himself as he stared at Luffy's back. This wasn't normal…Something must have happened to them, but what? He had a deep frown on his face as he continued to stare at Luffy's back. 'Didn't everyone else notice something wasn't right with them?' he thought as he looked around at the others. They were all smiling, except for Chopper. He only looked confused. Even Sanji had a smile on his face. 'What is going on with my Nakama?!' he thought to himself. Usopp decided it might be time to have a talk with Luffy.

"Well, guess I should start on lunch." said Sanji as he disappeared into the kitchen.

"I'm going to my infirmary. I have been working on some new medicines." added Chopper as he disappeared around a corner.

"I'm going to go work on a new weapon I've been building." said Franky as he disappeared inside his weapons development room.

"I'm going to go up and train." remarked Zoro as he climbed up the crow's nest.

"I need a new book. Think I may go into the library." added Robin as she disappeared into the observation room.

'Chance!!' thought Usopp to himself. He turned toward Luffy. He quietly made his way to him , "Ne, Luffy…" he called.

Luffy turned and looked up at him, "Hmm?" he asked.

"Can we…talk?" asked Usopp uncertain.

"Sure! What's up?!" he exclaimed with a grin as he sat up.

Usopp plopped down next to him. Usopp crossed his arms and looked down with furrowed brows and was silent. He wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Luffy stared at him expressionless. He tilted his head at him, "So, what's on your mind?" he asked.

Usopp sighed, 'Might as well just ask…' he thought to himself. "A…a lot of weird stuff has been going on lately…" he finally said.

"Really?! Like what?!" asked Luffy in excited curiosity.

Usopp raised a brow at his clueless Captain, "What's going on between you and Nami?" he asked.

Luffy's smile vanished, "What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"I mean all the weird stuff with you and Nami!" he said slightly impatient.

Luffy looked away from him with furrowed brows, "I'm not really sure…" he replied in slight confusion.

"Nani?!" exclaimed Usopp in surprise. 'Not even Luffy knows what's going on?!' he thought.

"I mean…we've all been together for a long time, and we're all getting older…" said Luffy quietly.

"W…what is…th…that…su…supposed to mean?!" asked Usopp unsure of his Captain's words.

"I'm not really sure!" replied Luffy as he laughed. He looked completely confused by his own words.

Usopp looked at him with a look of exasperation as sweat beaded down his face. "I don't understand…" he replied still confused.

"Me neither!" replied Luffy with his usual grin.

Usopp's frown deepened, "I knew it!! Something must have happened to the two of you!!" he exclaimed as he pointed to Luffy.

Luffy made a noise of surprise as he stared at Usopp in confusion. Then he smiled a lopsided smile, "Chotto matte, matte!" he replied as he laughed. "There's nothing wrong with us! We're fine!" he said as he laughed.

Usopp's continued to frown at his friend. Then he closed his eyes and sighed to himself. Then he opened his eyes and raised a brow at Luffy, "What kind of dance is it anyways?" he asked curious. Luffy made a nervous noise and then laughed nervously. He turned away from Usopp, "I don't really wanna talk about it…Besides, you'll get to see it tomorrow…" he replied nervously.

Usopp raised his eyebrow further, but didn't push the subject. Then he sighed again, "Are you sure things are okay though?" he asked.

Luffy looked back to him, "Hmm?" he questioned with raised brows.

"I mean with Nami. She looked pretty upset with you…" he replied in concern.

Luffy just laughed, "We all have our flaws and bad qualities…" he leaned forward, "Nami has a short and bad temper. That and she's a sore loser. Not to mention, she has her love for money…That's going to get her into trouble one day…" he said in a hushed voice as if Nami could somehow hear him. He wanted to make sure…She could really hit hard...

Usopp laughed at this, "Ain't that the truth!" he exclaimed as he continued laughing.

Luffy laughed with him. Then he calmed down, "Everything will be fine. Nami will be fine too! You'll see!" he exclaimed reassuring his Nakama.

"Aa, you're right!" he agreed as he smiled at Luffy.

----

Nami walked into the bathhouse and closed the door behind her. She slowly slide down the door and sat on the floor. Her heart was still racing and her knees felt weak. Her breathing was also hard and fast and sweat beaded down her face. 'What the hell was that?!' she thought to herself as she furrowed her brows. Luffy had never done anything remotely close to that before. Not only that, but it had affected her…badly…She was mortified at the fact that her knees had almost given out on her out there. His smile and the expression on his face came back into view in her mind. Her heart skipped a beat.

His smile was almost like the one he got when he was presented with a challenge he was confident he would win. His eyes had hooded and he had a side ways grin. However, this time it was different. Especially with how he spoke and what was said. He had actually been provoking her, which she found kind of irritated her. She highly doubted any of her teasing had made him feel the way he just made her feel. She had to admit, he had gotten her pretty good, 'Baka, baka, baka, baka, BAKA!!' she screamed to herself in her mind. She wasn't sure if she meant him or herself. Then she smiled to herself. 'I'll just have to get him back…' she thought. The prospect of getting him back for her humiliation excited her. She sighed satisfied with this decision and then got up to take her shower.

----

Just as Nami came back out on deck, Sanji announced lunch. She noticed Usopp and Luffy sitting together. They both got up at Sanji's announcement and ran into the dining area. She smiled to herself. Everyone else began to emerge from different parts of the ship to eat lunch. She continued on her way inside the dining area.

It was a normal and boisterous lunch as the guys fought over food. She smiled as she watched Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper fight over the same large piece of meat. They all had a firm hold on it and were tugging on it. Finally, Luffy put a hand to Usopp's face and a foot to Chopper's as he pulled on the meat. She smiled wider as she ate. Usopp and Chopper squawked and whined as Luffy pulled it free and swallowed it whole. Nami still wasn't that hungry since Luffy had treated her to meat earlier. She ate only a small portion.

"Aren't you hungry, Nami-san?" asked Sanji from the kitchen.

Nami looked over at him slightly surprised. Then she smiled, "Mmm…" she hummed as she shook her head, "Luffy treated me to some meat from a nice ossan before we came back to the ship." she explained.

"Oh really?" asked Sanji with raised brows as he looked at Luffy. Everyone else also looked over at Luffy.

Luffy had a mouth full of food, "Aa, the nice ossan gave me free meat!!" he exclaimed.

"That so…" replied Zoro with a knowing smirk.

"Aa, I had bought a whole lot form him yesterday during the before the festival and then some more today! So, he gave me a free one! Then when I went to get Nami one, he gave me another free one!" he explained excitedly as he finally swallowed the food in his mouth and grinned.

"How very nice of him." remarked Robin in her gentle voice.

"Aa!" said Luffy as he nodded to her in agreement.

"Was he butcher?" asked Sanji.

"Aa! He sold all kinds. Cooked and uncooked!" replied Luffy.

"Hmm…think I might have to pay him a visit then. You will have to show me where his shop is, Luffy." replied Sanji with a hand to his chin.

"Sure!" exclaimed Luffy as he and everyone else continued to eat.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **Chigau means different (both a verb and an adjective); it's often used (and translated) in the same way we say "no" as in "that's wrong" or "no, it's something different". I think they also use it to say, "No, that's not what I meant." or "No, that's not it." (At least that's what I meant for him to say.) (If I'm wrong please tell me. :D)

**2: **Ja na translates to like "See you later!" :P

**Author's Note: **Yeah I know, you're all confused, I'm sorry!! XD Okay, no I'm not…MUWAHAHAHA! XD All will be made clear. Until then, JA NA! XD


	10. Chapter 10: Unforeseen Pain

**Author's Note: **Okay first I want to apologize for all the typo's and mistakes in the last chapter. I completely forgot to proof read that chapter, so sorry for that. ; Also I made a mistake. The part just after Nami and Luffy's argument, I had Luffy jump down to the deck and walk to Sunny's front and jump on his head. Okay, well, I forgot…the sleeping quarters _are_ at Sunny's front. So, instead of Luffy jumping down, he actually was supposed to go up. I sometimes get the ends confused, sorry. ; Second mistake, Zoro was supposed to have watch the night of the argument. However, I had Franky go up into the crow's nest. I had changed my mind during some point in the chapter. So if I had proof read it, I would have caught it, so sorry about that as well. XP Well, I hope you guys are happy that I fixed the tension between Luffy and Sanji! I told you all would be better, didn't I?! XD Anywho, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please review! Criticism and flames are welcome! (Although, I have yet to be flamed…Anyone wanna take up that challenge?…I dare ya! XD) So, Enjoy!! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 10: Unforeseen Pain and the Unfriendly Pair**

After Lunch, everyone went on deck to relax. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper had all decided to go fishing. Nami sat in her usual chair next to Robin, who already had her nose in a book. Zoro was sitting on deck leaning on the rail for an after lunch nap. Franky was next to the guys watching them fish. Sanji was in the kitchen cleaning up from lunch.

Nami was unabashedly watching Luffy from her chair. It wasn't that she didn't care if anyone noticed her watching their Captain. She actually didn't think they would. Everyone was busy doing their own thing. Not only that, but she found she couldn't help herself. Her face furrowed in concern at that thought. 'The feelings are becoming stronger…' she thought and as she did she flinched as she felt pain in her chest. She immediately leaned forward and grabbed her shirt and chest as she let out a small noise at the pain. Sweat beaded down her face as her expression turned pained. Although, it wasn't just pain, it was also accompanied by many different emotions, sadness, loneliness, and…something else…longing? 'But for what…?' she thought to herself.

"Navigator-san?" called Robin from beside her. "Are you okay?" she asked concerned.

Nami immediately turned toward her, "I…uh…I'm fine!" she replied as she laughed nervously.

"Perhaps Doctor-san should have a look…" Robin had started.

Nami interrupted her. "No!...I mean…no…It's okay. I'm fine…really…" she replied as she gave Robin a nervous smile.

Robin looked at her concerned for awhile. Then she shrugged, leaned back in her chair and brought her book back up to her face. Nami sighed in relief before turning back toward Luffy. He had turned around and was looking right at her with a blank expression. She felt the pain returning. She grabbed her shirt and chest tighter. She was looking back at him a little surprised with slightly parted lips. They stared at one another for awhile before Usopp catching a fish forced Luffy to turn away. 'Wh…what was that?' she thought to herself as she continued to stare at Luffy's back.

Robin smiled warmly behind her book. She had seen the exchange. 'Did this mean they felt the same?' she thought to herself as she glanced at Nami, who was still staring at their Captain's back in surprise. She had figure that's what it might have been. She hadn't been sure, but now she was beginning to think she was. When they had all had the talk in the aquarium room, she had been curious to know what the others had thought. They had been completely oblivious. So, she had decided to suggest they leave well enough alone. If there was something between the two, then they needed to figure it for themselves. Her warm smile widened before she brought her book back up to her face.

----

The time had finally come for Nami's second performance. She had left ahead of everyone to prepare for it. Luffy was getting anxious again. "I wonder what she is going to wear…? What kinda dance will she do…?" he whispered to himself as he waited for the others to be ready to leave. He was again squatting down next to the rail with his arms over the side and head out in between the openings in the rail. He turned around as he heard someone approach.

The others were coming up to where he was. "We ready to go see Nami-san?!" asked Sanji.

"Haai!" he exclaimed as he jumped off the side.

"Oi, matte Luffy!" yelled Zoro annoyed, but the rubber man was already running toward the place.

"Well, let's hurry and follow him!" exclaimed Chopper excitedly as he jumped down and began to run.

"Why is he in such a hurry…?" remarked Zoro annoyed.

"Who knows, let's go before we're left behind!" replied Usopp as they all began to jump down and run after Luffy.

----

They came up to the place the festival was being held at. They got in free again and were making their way inside. Luffy knew Nami was here somewhere he just wasn't sure where. "Her dressing room maybe…?" he whispered to himself. Suddenly, he felt pain in his chest. He made a pained noise and stopped walking. He leaned forward slightly and grabbed at his chest.

Everyone turned toward him at hearing him. Robin smiled to herself, 'So, I was right…' she thought.

"Luffy!! Are you alright?!" cried Chopper as he ran to his side. Then he began to panic, "Quick!! We need a doctor!!!" he screamed as he ran in a circle. "Ah! That's right! I am the doctor!" "he exclaimed as he stopped running in a circle and went back to Luffy.

"It's okay! I'm fine!" reassured Luffy as he stood up straighter. Then he grinned at the panicked reindeer. Whatever it was he was feeling it was getting stronger. He furrowed his brows and looked down at the hand on his chest. Then he made a noise of surprise. When he had been fishing earlier, he had gotten the overwhelming urge to look towards his Navigator. When he had finally given in to his urge, she had been talking with Robin. Robin had had a concerned expression and was leaning towards Nami. Nami had been holding her chest, just like he was doing now. He immediately looked up at Robin. She was smiling at him.

"Are you sure Luffy?" asked Chopper again still concerned for his Captain.

"A…aa…" he replied still looking at Robin. Then he turned and grinned at the reindeer again, "I'm fine." he reassured as he removed his hand from his chest. "Let's go before the festival starts without us." he said as he began walking ahead of everyone else. Everyone stared at his back with raised brows, but followed him in.

Luffy still felt weird, as if he were…empty inside. As if, he was missing something…but what? He furrowed his brows as he kept walking.

They finally made it inside the auditorium of the festival and began looking for seats. Luffy couldn't even think about eating. His stomach was in knots. They found a row of seats toward the middle. Luffy sat in the middle of the seats this time. He sat in between Chopper and Usopp.

Mogu came out to make the announcements. He introduced all the performance and announced when they would be performing. Then he mentioned about the scorings being announced at the end of all the performances.

"Has anyone noticed we have yet to see the judges…?" asked Sanji with furrowed brows.

"Ah, indeed. Perhaps they are anonymous." replied Robin calmly.

"Yeah…maybe…" remarked Zoro as he narrowed his eyes towards Mogu.

Luffy was only half paying attention to what his crew was saying. "So, Nami is to be sixth today…" he whispered to himself. He was anxious to see her.

"You say something Luffy?" asked Usopp.

"Nami's sixth today…" he repeated louder.

"Aa…I can't wait to see what Nami-san will do today! I'm sure she will be just as beautiful as she was yesterday!!" exclaimed Sanji in his love-love state.

Luffy narrowed his eyes and moved them in the direction Sanji was in, but never turned his head from the stage. Then he raised a brow at his own reaction. Finally, the first contestant was to perform. Luffy looked back to the stage.

----

Some of the performances had been pretty good. However, Luffy didn't really pay attention to any of them. He was just anxious to see his Navigator. He began to fidget in his seat and bobbed his leg up and down. Chopper looked up at Luffy with a look of concern. He could sense Luffy's anxiety.

After watching one more performance, it was finally Nami's turn. Luffy felt nervous, worried, and excited all at the same time. Mogu introduced Nami and then walked off stage. The lights dimmed and the curtains opened. Luffy could see Nami's silhouette in the middle of the stage. He leaned forward in his chair. Everyone turned to him with raised brows. He seemed the most excited out of all of them, even Sanji.

Nami tried her best to look through the crowd quickly without lifting her head. She scanned the audience toward the middle for the one item she was looking for. 'There!' she thought as she spotted it, a straw hat. She smiled and lowered her eyes to the floor in preparation for her performance. The lights came on and the music started.

Luffy felt happy that he could see her now. He also felt relieved. The void he had been feeling when they first walked in was slightly filled now, but not completely, which made it feel worse. He smiled at her attire. She wore a dark blue tank top that was slightly draped on one side over her belly. Not as much of her skin was visible this time. Only the middle portion of her stomach was revealed. She wore golden ringed bracelets with matching earrings and an anklet. She again wore no shoes. The bottoms of her attire were light blue, baggy clothed pants. They were slimmer on the top and bagged out toward the bottom and tight at the ankle.

Her dance was still exotic, but no where near as alluring as yesterday. She was just as graceful and agile. Luffy noticed she still focused most of her attention on him. He smiled wider in return. She would glance every now and then towards the others, but her gaze would always come back to him. One of the times she had looked away during her dance, he noticed some of the men in the crowd were disappointed. He scowled at them, "Jerks…They were probably hoping she would be wearing little again…" he said quietly to himself with a scoff.

"You say something again, Luffy?" asked Usopp as he kept his eyes on Nami.

"Nami's doing a great job!" he exclaimed as sweat beaded down his face.

"Oh…oh yeah!" replied Usopp as he smiled at Luffy. Luffy grinned back to Usopp. Even though there were a few disappointed perverts, the crowd was still cheering for Nami. Luffy looked back down at Nami. She was smiling at him.

"Nami-swaaan!! She does look as beautiful as I thought she would!!! Nami-swan!!" cheered Sanji in his love-love state.

Luffy looked over toward him and frowned. "Gooo, Nami!!!" cheered Usopp and Chopper.

"Give it your best Nami-onesan!!" yelled Franky.

"Do your best, Navigator-san!!" cheered Robin.

Luffy looked toward his crew with a blank expression. Then he looked back down at Nami. She was smiling wider from their cheers. Then she looked back at Luffy. He grinned, "Nami!!!! Don't you dare lose!!!!" he yelled. He grinned wider as he looked down at her. Her smile turned into a grin as she put more enthusiasm into her dance.

As Nami finished her dance, there was a loud cheer, her crew being the loudest. As the curtain closed, Luffy became anxious again. He felt like a caged animal. He wanted to go to her, so much, it was almost a need. He began to fidget and bob his leg again, but didn't move. Everyone looked over to their Captain with furrowed brows, but said nothing.

Hanako was the next after Nami. Luffy looked on with pursed lips and in disinterest. However, when the curtain opened and the lights were turned on, Luffy made a noise of disbelief, as did the rest of the crew. Her outfit was not as reserved as it had been yesterday. There was quite a bit of visible skin. "Hypocrite!" seethed Zoro as he glared down at the woman.

Luffy clenched his teeth in anger. This woman dared to dress like that after what she had said to Nami. Then she began her dance. It wasn't as alluring as Nami's was yesterday, but it was less than modest. Luffy clenched his teeth down harder even after it began to hurt. This woman was unbelievable. Everyone watched her entire dance, animosity seeping from their eyes. Except……for Sanji. "Mellorine!! Mellorine!!" he cheered in his love-love state. Everyone turned to him with glares and clenched teeth. "Ahou…" they all seethed. Robin only had furrowed brows and sweat beading down her face.

Nami couldn't believe her eyes. 'That…that…argh!!' she thought to herself. 'And yet I was the one who was insulted yesterday and by this…woman?!' she continued to think as she clenched down her teeth. Nami turned and stormed off in the direction of her dressing room.

The crowd had cheered fairly loudly for Hanako. All but seven, the Mugiwara crew only stared at the stage with scowls…except for Sanji. The next performer was announced and began her dance. Toward the middle of the dance, Usopp looked up and saw Nami. She made her way into the row, lifted Chopper from his chair, sat down next to Luffy, and sat Chopper on her lap. The little reindeer had giggled at being lifted. He was now smiling happily up at Nami, who smiled sweetly down at him. Then he turned back to the stage and continued watching. Luffy looked over at her and grinned. Then he brought up his hand. She grinned back and slapped her hand across his. Some of the crowed looked at them curiously, but then turned away.

The finally performances were done and the scoring was now being announced. The scores were given in order of the performances. Finally, Nami's card was flipped. It was a 9. Everyone made noises of disbelief as they saw the score. "I don't believe it!" exclaimed Nami in angered disbelief.

"Its okay, Nami, it's the highest score so far." replied Luffy to her outburst with a reassuring smile. She smiled back. Then the next card was flipped. It was Hanako's card. It was a 9.5.

"Nani?!" the crew yelled in disbelief.

"Unbelievable!! Why that dirty, no good…!!" Nami exclaimed in anger. So far, now Nami and Hanako were tied.

"That's alright!" Luffy interrupted Nami's tirade. "We just have to win tomorrow, right Nami?" he asked as he looked toward her with determination.

Nami looked back at him in surprise with slightly parted lips. Then her face broke into a confident smile, "That's right!" she exclaimed. Luffy grinned back at her. Luffy looked back down to the stage. Now he was determined to master that dance no matter how difficult it may be. They weren't going to lose to those people.

----

When they got back to the ship, Sanji had prepared another feast. The meal was another boisterous event. There was a great deal of drinking and noise. Franky had brought out his guitar and was playing sloppily. No one seemed to care. They were all laughing and goofing off anyway. Usopp and Luffy locked hands and began twirling each other around and laughing. Everyone watched them and laughed with them. Then Luffy grabbed Chopper and began spinning him around.

Usopp then grabbed Sanji and spun him around, "Oi, oi!" exclaimed Sanji but then found himself laughing. Everyone else laughed merrily at the four. Luffy put Chopper down and took a swig of his drink and then put it down. Chopper began wobbling around dizzily, but he was still laughing.

Then Luffy grabbed a hold of Nami's hands, "Oi, Luffy…matte!" she exclaimed with a bit of a nervous laugh.

"Everyone's gotta do it, even Zoro!!" he exclaimed.

Sanji gently offered for Robin's hands who gladly accepted. Chopper then grabbed Zoro's, who raised a brow, but obliged the little reindeer.

Luffy began to spin Nami, who eventually began to laugh as they spun. Luffy laughed loudly as they began to spin faster. "Oi, Luffy, you're going to fast!" protested Nami half heartedly who could barely breath from the exertion of laughing and spinning. Suddenly, Nami tripped on Luffy's feet, because of the speed and lost her balance.

She fell backwards bringing Luffy down with her, "Kyaa!!" she exclaimed. She landed on her back, the grassy deck being her cushion, still laughing. Luffy fell over her, but not on her. He landed on both hands beside her head and had one knee between her legs. The force of the fall had brought his face close to hers. Nami finally stopped laughing and looked up at Luffy. Luffy also stopped laughing and looked down at her.

Both smiles began to vanish slowly as the two just stared at one another for awhile. Everyone had stopped spinning at hearing Nami's half hearted scream and had looked toward them. They looked on at the two with curious expressions, smiles, or in Zoro's case smirks. Zoro's smirk widened and then he closed his eyes as he put a fist to his mouth. "Ahem!" he cleared his throat.

Luffy finally snapped out of his daze, "Ah…g…gomen!" he said as he got up and then offered a hand for Nami.

Nami blushed, "No, it's…fine…" she said quietly with a nervous smile as she accepted his offered hand. Nami dusted herself off, with the flush still in her cheeks she smiled. Luffy smiled in return.

Chopper oblivious to the strange atmosphere perked up, "Ah! I know! Let's play a game of poker!" he exclaimed happily, unknowingly saving the two from an awkward moment.

"Oh, I'll play!!" replied Luffy excitedly as he turned to the excited reindeer.

"Aa, me too!" exclaimed Usopp.

"Sure, I'll play poker, if money is involved." replied Nami with an impish grin.

"I'll play." replied Franky.

"Ee…I will as well…" replied Robin with a smile. She was interested in watching Luffy and Nami play.

Everyone turned to Zoro and Sanji, "Gomen, I gotta clean up, maybe next time." replied Sanji with a smile as he began gathering the dishes.

Then they turned to Zoro, "Gomen, going to take a nap. I've got watch." he replied with a yawn and walked away.

"Yosh! Six players is a good number!" exclaimed Usopp.

"Aa!!" replied Chopper excitedly. Everyone went inside the dining area to begin setting up the game. Then they started to play.

Nami won three games in a row. She smiled and stuck the tip of her tongue out as she collected her winnings. "Nami…it's no fun if you keep winning…" whined Luffy with a slight pout. Nami just giggled.

"How do you do it, Nami-onesan?" asked Franky with a raised brow.

"It's all in your skill!" she exclaimed with a large grin.

"Really…?" asked Luffy with a raised brow.

"Yes, really…" she replied with an impish smile.

"You throw off the other player's concentration by distracting them…" replied Robin.

"Robin!!" yelled Nami in disbelief. Robin only smiled gently at her.

"Oh, you distract them, eh?!" exclaimed Usopp with a smile.

Nami looked disheartened. "Ah, I see!" exclaimed Luffy as he grinned.

Sanji had finished cleaning up and came to watch the rest of the game. They started the next round.

"Ne, Nami…"

"Nani…?' replied Nami without looking up as she concentrated on her cards.

"You looked beautiful today…"

Nami made a noise that was half cough half choke, "Na…na…nan da tou?!" she sputtered as she looked over at Luffy. He was looking back at her with that same roguish grin from earlier that day. Nami's heart began to pound.

"You heard me…" he said in a low voice, and then he looked back down at his cards. Everyone was staring at him in disbelief. The cigarette fell out of Sanji's mouth. Nami blushed and then hid behind her cards. She could no longer concentrate.

Robin smiled toward Luffy knowingly. She was too interested in their behavior to pay attention to her cards. Everyone else couldn't concentrate either. Luffy won that round, "Yata! It really works! Arigato, Robin!" exclaimed Luffy excitedly as he gathered his winnings. Robin only smiled at the happy boy. Nami clenched her teeth and glared at the rubber boy. 'That's twice today he's caught me off guard…' she thought to herself. Then she smiled deviously. 'That's okay, the night is still young.' she thought.

The next round was started. "So, Luffy, you really thought I was beautiful?" asked Nami in a sultry voice as she leaned forward toward Luffy exposing a great deal of cleavage. She hooded her eyes and smiled seductively towards him.

Sweat beaded down Luffy's face as he had looked towards her. He broke his gaze from her cleavage and looked at her face. It was no better. The look on her face made his palms sweaty. Everyone else was distracted by cleavage, and Robin was too busy observing the two's provocative behavior. Nami won that round. Luffy scowled at her as she scraped up her winnings with a huge grin on her face.

It went back and forth through out the game. When it was down to Luffy and Nami everyone watched with wide eyes as the behavior past back in forth between the two. Sanji stuck a finger in his collar attempting to loosen it. Sweat beaded down everyone's face as the room's temperature rose about ten degrees. Finally the last game was played. Nami scooped up the last bit of Luffy's coins. Luffy stared at her with furrowed brows of disappointment.

"Too bad you were going up against a pro, Luffy!" teased Nami as she winked at him with a smile on her face.

"Aa…but I'm starting to catch on…" he replied with his roguish grin. Nami stopped collecting her coins and looked towards Luffy in surprise. What he said and how he said it as well as the look on his face made her shiver. Then she ripped her gaze from his and finished collecting up all the coins. Luffy's grin widened.

"Well, I'm going to bed. You should do the same, Luffy. We have to go back to Mora-sensei's tomorrow morning." she said quickly before leaving the dining area. Everyone watched her leave and then turned to Luffy. He was still smiling at the door. Then he got up and left.

Everyone sighed deep. "What the hell was that…?" asked Sanji as he shakily brought out a new cigarette.

"I have no idea…" replied Usopp as he sunk down and put a chin on the table.

"I wonder…" commented Robin quietly with a knowing smile.

"Well, we should all probably head to bed ourselves…" said Franky as he got up.

"Aa…" replied Sanji as everyone else go up to go to sleep.

----

Luffy walked into the men's quarters and fell face first into his bed. His heart was still pounding, "That was kinda fun…" he whispered to himself as he rolled over. He was still kind of confused by it. He had never done anything like that before. It had been…exhilarating. He had seen Sanji and Nami do things like that before, but he himself had never done it. Luffy closed his eyes, "I kinda like this game…" he whispered as he fell asleep.

----

Nami crawled into her bed and lay down. She stared at her ceiling and began thinking about Luffy. He had really gone all out during the game. She had to admit he had made her really nervous and work for her money. Her heart had pounded through out the entire game. It had been fun. She smiled to herself. It was definitely the most interesting and exciting game she had ever played. She smiled to herself, 'He really is a fast learner…' she thought as she rolled over for sleep.

----

Everyone shared a usual breakfast for the Mugiwara crew. Nami was just glad things were back to the way they normally are. After breakfast, Luffy and Nami left for Mora's class. "You missed an…interesting card game last night, Zoro-aniki…" said Franky as he grinned towards the Swordsman.

"Oh…?" Zoro asked as he raised a brow.

"Haha! Yeah, Luffy was right on par with Nami!" exclaimed Usopp with a laugh.

"Yeah! Although…it made me kind of uncomfortable…" added Chopper with an exasperated expression.

"I have to admit…it did get pretty warm after awhile…Anyone else notice…?" asked Sanji.

"Aa…" agreed Usopp, Chopper, and Franky.

"It was indeed…interesting…" replied Robin with a smile.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Zoro as his brow rose further.

"Well…seems Luffy learned how to flirt…He was using it to his advantage to try and win the game after Robin pointed out you had to distract the other players to win." explained Usopp.

"Although…he only used it against Nami-san…" added Sanji with a slight frown.

"Well, that's because she was winning all the games!" exclaimed Chopper with furrowed brows toward Sanji.

"Yeah, true…Nami got mad after losing a game to Luffy, and started fighting back…" replied Usopp as sweat beaded down his face.

"Yeah…except she distracted everyone else too…" added Sanji as he cleared his throat…"Nami-san really knows how to…use her body to…advantage…" he continued.

"Aa……." replied the guys while sweat beaded down their faces.

Zoro's eyebrow rose further as his eyes grew wider. "What the hell…?" he replied quietly.

----

Luffy and Nami made their way to Mora's class and then went inside. Bairon was there again. "Good morning, Nami-san, Luffy-san!" greeted Mora.

"Good morning." they greeted simultaneously.

"So far, you are doing magnificently, Nami-san! We must make the last dance something they will never forget!" she exclaimed excitedly. Nami smiled nervously and then nodded.

Mora began explaining and demonstrating the rest of the steps for the dance. There were twirls and dips……oh the dips…Nami became very nervous as sweat beaded down her face. Then she nervously looked over at Luffy. Sweat also beaded down his face. However, he was watching them with a look of determination on his face. Nami looked at him slightly surprised before turning back to Mora and Bairon.

It was now their turn. Luffy immediately got up and walked to the middle of the floor. He turned to Nami with the same look of determination. Nami looked at him in surprise with slightly parted lips. Mora smiled at Luffy. Nami finally got up and made her way to him. She stopped a few feet away. He offered her his hand. She slowly walked to him and accepted it. He pulled her to him and then whispered in her ear, "We have to do our best. We can't lose to those rude people. We have to show them how pirates do things." he had sounded determined.

Nami's eyes grew larger as he had whispered in her ear with slightly parted lips. Once he finished she pulled back and looked him in the face. He grinned roguishly at her. Her heart began to race at his smile. Then she smiled back, "Un!" she replied with a nod and then the music started.

Luffy got better and better, stepping on her toes less and less. Mora would interrupt now and then to give them instructions, "Remember, eye contact is a _must_! Your eyes are only to leave each other's during the dips and twirls. Nami-san, you will turn your head up towards his when he brings your back to his front!" she instructed.

"Hai, Mora-sensei." replied Nami as they tried again.

----

The lessons had finally ended. It had taken a lot longer than usual. Nami was exhausted both physically…and mentally. 'That dance was so…' she thought to herself. "Nami…hara heta na…" whined Luffy with a slight pout.

Nami looked towards him. Then she looked at a clock of a store they were passing. It was way past lunch time. However, they still had plenty of time before the last dance. "I'm pretty hungry myself…" she replied. "The others have probably eaten by now…" she continued. Luffy pouted at her in helplessness. She laughed at his expression, "Let's go and eat something then, okay?" she suggested as she smiled at him.

He grinned at her in return, "Yahoo!" he exclaimed as he pumped a fist into the air.

Nami looked away and ahead of them. There had been a restaurant she had been passing everyday to get the Mora's classes. The food had smelled wonderful each time. "Come on, I know just the place. I wouldn't mind trying it!" she said with a smile as she looked at Luffy.

"Yosh! Let's go!" he said excitedly.

They reached the restaurant and went inside. A man approached and greeted them, "Hello, welcome to our restaurant. Would you like a table for two?" he asked politely.

"Hai. Please." replied Nami.

"Okay, right this way." he said with a smile as he turned and lead them to a table.

As soon as they were seated he hand them each a menu, "A server will be with you shortly." he said with a smile and then walked off.

Luffy looked over at Nami with a blank expression. Nami looked over at him before looking at her menu. Then she smiled, "Get whatever you want." she said.

Luffy grinned and then nodded. Then he looked through his menu. She smiled warmly at him before looking through her menu as well. A server approached their table, "Hello, my name is Zen and I will be your waiter. Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked politely.

"Wine would be nice." replied Nami.

"Would you like to try our House Special?" he asked.

Nami's eye twitched slightly, "House…Special…Is it strong…?" she asked cautiously.

"It is a favorite among our customers. It's not as bitter tasting as most. However, no, I don't believe it is very stronger." he replied politely.

Nami laughed nervously, "Alright, we'll take that." she said with a nervous smile.

Zen nodded and then walked off to retrieve the wine. Once he returned with the wine and poured some for them, he took their order. After about fifteen minutes, their food was brought out to them. Luffy laughed happily and began to dig in. Nami smiled warmly at her Captain before beginning to eat. The way Luffy was eating drew quite a bit of attention. Nami didn't mind. As many places that they had stopped to eat during their journey, she found she had never been embarrassed of his eating habits. Luffy was Luffy, and everyone accepted that.

Two in particular were watching the pair with great interest and smirks on their faces. They got up from their table and approached Luffy and Nami. "Well, well, well, it looks like pirates _don't _have manners after all…"

Both Luffy and Nami looked up from their meal and to the voice that had spoken. "Oh…if it isn't the hypocrite?" Nami shot back as she smiled deviously at Hanako. Nami looked over and noticed Meji's bruised and bandaged nose. Her devious grinned widened, "How's the nose?" she asked in a less than caring voice.

"Just fine…arigato…" replied Meji less than pleased.

"Hypocrite you say? I have no idea as to what you are referring to…" replied Hanako innocently. Nami glared at the woman. Hanako looked over at Luffy. Luffy had a mouth full of food as he continued to eat. He was staring at her indifferently. His lack of expression upset her. It was as if they weren't worth caring about. "So, what was with the manners at the banquet? Were you just pretending to fit in…that you weren't filthy pirates…scum of this world?" she remarked spitefully. Luffy's face remained indifferent as he continued to eat and stare at Hanako.

Hanako was becoming more and more upset as she scowled at Luffy. Nami looked from Hanako to Luffy with furrowed brows. Then Hanako smiled menacingly, "Well, not only do you lack manners, but are you stupid too?!" she asked in a harsh voice.

Nami quickly looked back at Hanako anger on her face. "Wow, Nami…you got stuck with a real winner…Serves you both right. You_ are_ pirates after all. He's stuck with a tramp of a woman and your stuck with a retard…He probably doesn't know any better, and you're easy, so I guess it makes for a perfect pair." she said as she laughed maliciously.

Nami slammed her hands down on the table and stood up quickly, knocking her chair over. Her having slammed her hands down knocked over both wine glasses which spilled over the table cloth. One fell to the ground and shattered. "How dare you! You don't know him!" she yelled. Then she pointed at Meji, "He probably isn't even half the man Luffy is!! No one is like Luffy!!" she continued. She was furious with this woman. By now everyone in the restaurant was watching them.

"Nami!" Nami made a surprised noise and looked at Luffy. He was looking back at her with slightly furrowed brows, "That's enough." he said quietly.

"Luffy…" replied Nami as her face relaxed.

"You're right…They don't know us…So, whatever they say is meaningless and not worth getting upset over." he said calmly and then he turned to the rude pair.

"Don't know you?! You're pirates!! All pirates are the same!!" yelled Hanako angrily at Luffy's indifference.

Luffy's expression changed to a much harder looked as he furrowed his brows deeper, "Are they? What has my crew ever done to you? You presume to know us, but you don't know anything…You however, I know enough to say, I don't like you. You were rude to us even before you found out we were pirates. Yet, you say I lack manners…I'm the stupid one?" he said calmly with a scoff.

"How dare you call Hanako stupid!" yelled Meji in anger.

Luffy glanced over at him coldly, "You have no room to talk…" he said in a deathly quiet voice. Meji backed off immediately. "Besides…I never said she was stupid…" he stated in a bored tone.

"Su…sumimasen…" the two pairs turned to a nervous looking man. "I…I'm going to have to ask you to leave…" he said nervously.

"Gomen…we didn't mean to cause any trouble for you. We will pay for our food and be on our way." said Luffy politely as he smiled at the man. Luffy stood up and began to follow the man, Nami following Luffy.

"Pay?! Since when do pirates _pay_ for anything?!" yelled Hanako angrily at their backs. "Are you just putting up an act?" she continued.

Luffy stopped and turned toward the woman with a hard expression, "Are you still pretending to know us?" he asked quietly as he narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you say such horrible things about this young man?" asked a man as he stood up from his table. "He came by my shop three times already. He has bought a great deal of meat from me. Actually, he bought so much that I decided to treat my wife today! I was having a bad week too before he came a long. He was very polite and cheerful. I found him to be very pleasant. He paid for everything." said the same ossan Luffy had purchased the meat from.

"Ah, ossan!! We told our crew about you! You were so nice for giving me free meat for buying so much. My cook wants to buy some more from you!" exclaimed Luffy with a grin.

The man grinned in return, "Ah, I welcome your business! These two called you pirates, is that true?" asked the ossan.

"Aa, that's right!! I'm going to be Pirate King one day!" proclaimed Luffy with a grin.

"That so?! Well, you aren't like any pirate I've ever met. I hope you do become Pirate King. I would actually prefer it!" he exclaimed with a hearty laugh.

"Arigato, ossan!!" laughed Luffy with a huge grin.

Hanako was angry and appalled by what she was hearing. Luffy and Nami turned back around and continued on to pay for their meal. They approached a man sitting behind a counter with the man that appeared to be the manager, standing next to him. It was the same man that had asked them to leave.

Luffy put his hands in his pockets intending on paying but Nami stopped him by putting a hand over his. "No, let me." she said with a smile as she pulled out a small pouch. Luffy looked at her surprised, but didn't say anything. Nami paid for the meal.

"Arigato." thanked the manager. Suddenly, Luffy dropped more money onto the counter. "Nani?" questioned the manager.

"Luffy…?" questioned Nami.

"For the trouble we caused you and for the damage." said Luffy. "Gomen." he continued. Nami looked down sheepishly.

"That won't be necessary." said the manager as he smiled. He picked up the bellis and put them back into Luffy's hand. Luffy made a throaty noise in surprise. "It wasn't you who caused the trouble." he said and then he turned to Nami, "You're anger was understandable." he said as he smiled at Nami who in turn blushed for having lost her temper. "Lou-san is a very good friend of mine. He had told me about you. I had no idea you were that young man." he explained with a smile.

"Lou-san?" asked both Luffy and Nami.

"Aa, the man you bought all the meat from." he explained with his smile.

"Oh, I see! I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Nice to meet you!" exclaimed Luffy with a grin.

"Nan da tou?!" yelled everyone in the restaurant.

"Are?" questioned Luffy confused.

"Y…you're _the _Monkey D. Luffy?!!" asked the manager in amazement.

"Aa, that's right." replied Luffy with a blank expression.

Then the manager looked at Nami, "And the Cat Burglar Nami?!" he exclaimed.

"U…un…" replied Nami nervously with a nod.

"I thought you two looked familiar! You don't seem evil…The papers said you were horrible…Is it true that you broke in and destroyed Enies Lobby?" asked the manager amazed.

Hanako couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Were they really the famous Mugiwara Kaizoku?' she thought as she looked at them. Then she looked at the hat he wore. It was a straw hat.

"Aa, they took one of my precious Nakama. We went to get her back. We might have…made a mess or two." explained Luffy with a grin as he put a hand to the back of his head.

"Ah, I see…Well, I'm Simon. It's very nice to meet you in person, Luffy-san. You don't seem at all like they made you out to be. You are welcome back here anytime!" exclaimed the manager with a grin.

"Ah, Arigato, **Motojime**-ossan!" exclaimed Luffy with his grin.

"Arigato." said Nami as she bowed her head and smiled and then they both left the restaurant.

The manager turned toward Hanako and Meji. "Please pay then leave, and please don't ever cause trouble here again." he said with a frown.

'Unbelievable! 'They would treat that pirate trash so politely, yet treat us so horribly!' Hanako seethed to herself. They paid their bill and stormed out of the restaurant.

----

Luffy and Nami headed in the direction of the ship. "You were great back there…S…sorry for losing my temper…" apologized Nami quietly.

Luffy looked over to her with a blank expression and then he grinned, "Don't worry about it!" he exclaimed.

Nami smiled in return, "It's almost time for our performance. We will both be leaving early to prepare." she said as she looked straight ahead.

"Okay." he replied.

Nami yawned, "You know, I'm a little tired. I think I may take a nap after my shower." she said in a tired voice.

Luffy nodded, "Aa…I'm a little tried myself." he replied. The lessons from earlier had left them both exhausted.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translation and Explanations Corner:**

**1:** Kyaa is just a scream..:P

**2: **Hara heta basically translates to, "I'm hungry." **Informal** phrase which means "To be hungry" and literally translates as "My/your belly is in a bad condition". I have heard Luffy add the na at the end of saying this, so I added it to my story. ,

**3: **Mugiwara Kaizoku translates to Straw-hat Pirates! XP

**4: ****Motojime is manager.**

**Author's Note: **Yeah I know, sorry this was a shorter chapter than the last two. The two previous chapters were the longest ones I have. They will be shorter from now on. Their shortness permits me to post a chapter every week. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! XD The next chapter is my favorite one. I hope you all agree! So, until next time! Ja na! XD


	11. Chapter 11: The Last Dance!

**Author's Note: **This is my eleventh and one of my favorite chapters! I hope that you all enjoy it too! Please review! Flames and criticism are welcome! Enjoy!! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 11: The Last Dance and An Unexpected Announcement!**

Nami did exactly what she said she was going to do. She showered and then took a nap. Luffy was in the shower. He stood under the water and let it pour down his body. He looked up into the stream and closed his eyes. He was nervous about the dance. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about it. He opened his eyes and then looked down watching as the droplets dropped on by one from his hair. It seemed he was becoming more and more troubled lately, and he wasn't sure why. There was still…the emptiness…

Suddenly, there was a pain through out his chest. He leaned forward grabbing at the flesh of his chest as he brought up his other arm against the shower wall to hold him up. "Ahh!" he exclaimed as his nails bit into his skin. Blood began to drip down with the water. "I…I don't understand…" he whispered as he covered the scratches he just made with his hand. "What's happening to me…?" he whispered as he closed his eyes tight. He reopened them and then sighed. He finished his shower and then made his way to the men's quarters. He told the others he was going to sleep before disappearing inside. He was still warm from the shower. He removed his shirt and fell into his bed, falling fast asleep.

----

Nami woke up and glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was time to get up. She rolled out of bed and walked outside. She looked down and noticed Luffy was no where in sight. "Where's Luffy?" she asked.

"He went to sleep." replied Usopp.

"Oh…" she said as she made the climb downstairs. She walked over to the men's quarters and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked second time, "Luffy." she called through the door. There was still no answer. "I'm coming in!" she called and then slowly opened the door.

It was pretty dark inside. She slightly closed the door and slowly walked in. She spotted him in his bed. She walked up to him slowly and quietly. He was sprawled out with the covers tangled with his limbs. He was snoring quietly. She leaned over him as best should could since the top bunk was in her way. She noticed his brows were furrowed. 'Had he been thinking about something before he fell asleep?' she thought to herself.

Suddenly, he stirred in his sleep and his snores stopped and his face relaxed. 'He looks so peaceful…' she thought as she smiled. Then he moved his arm down bringing the covers down with him. He was shirtless. Nami stared down at his muscular chest and blushed. 'I better wake him...' she thought. She leaned further down and reached her hand out and then stopped. She gasped at what she saw. There were fresh scratches on his chest. 'Where…where did he get those?' she asked herself. The looked really fresh, as if he had gotten them just recently.

She furrowed her brows and reached down and grabbed his shoulder. She gave him a shake. "Luffy…wake up." she said softly. His eyes slightly fluttered as he slowly opened them. With his eyes hooded he slowly turned toward her and looked her in the eyes. It made Nami uncomfortable when he looked at her that way. She began to back away from him. However, he was much faster. He quickly reached up and grabbed her wrist and pulled her down hard. She roughly landed on his hard chest. It was almost like landing on solid rock.

"O…oi, matte, Luffy!! What are you doing?!" she yelled as she pushed herself up to look at him. He was still looking at her with his hooded eyes. Her heart started pounding and she was becoming very nervous. "L…Luffy!!" she yelled again.

Luffy began to blink rapidly and then his eyes flew open. He quickly sat up without thinking and collided with Nami, "Ow!!" they both yelled as they grabbed their heads.

"G…gomen, Nami!" he said loudly.

"W…what were you doing?!" she yelled at him.

"I…I don't know. I was asleep and the next thing I knew you were on me. What are you doing there anyways?" he asked confused.

"You did this?!" she yelled at him annoyed.

"I…I did?!!" he yelled back.

"Ugh…never mind!" she said annoyed as she got off him and stood up. Involuntarily her eyes moved to his chest and the scratches there. Luffy followed her gaze and then made a surprised noise as he quickly covered them with his hand. "What happened?" she asked softly.

"Uh…nothing…It was…an accident…while I was in the shower…" he explained quietly.

Nami narrowed her eyes at him, 'An accident?' she thought to herself. Then she shrugged and turned around, "Where are your slacks and shoes? We need to take them." she said with her back to him.

"There…in my locker." he replied quietly.

Nami turned back around and then walked over to the guy's lockers. She opened his and removed them. She closed it and then she turned toward Luffy, "Hurry up and get ready. We have to go already." she said as she walked out with his clothes.

Luffy watched her leave and then looked down at his scratches, "I hadn't meant to…" he whispered to himself before sighing and getting up to get dressed.

----

Nami walked out and walked a little ways from the door and then stopped. She had a completely puzzled look on her face. 'Had he really scratched himself on accident?' she thought to herself.

"You sure were in there a long time…" remarked Zoro with a raised brow.

'Why would he scratch himself?' she thought.

"Oi, did Luffy wake up?" asked Usopp.

'Well, he wouldn't do it on purpose so, it had to be an accident…right?' she continued to think.

"Oi, Nami?" asked Usopp as he raised a brow.

'I wonder how he did it though…? What was he doing…?' she thought as she furrowed her brows deeper.

"Oi, Nami?!!" yelled both Zoro and Usopp.

Nami jumped and then quickly looked up at the two, "Na…nani?" she asked.

Both of them stared at her with raised brows. "You okay?" asked Usopp.

"U…un…" she replied confused.

Then the door to the men's quarters opened and Luffy stepped out. Nami turned toward him. Their eyes met for a split second before Luffy lowered his gaze covering his eyes with his hat. Then he raised his arm as he put a hand on his hat. Then he made a throaty noise and looked up quickly. Then he turned and looked at Robin. He walked over and stood in front of her. Robin looked up at him questioningly. Then he removed his treasured hat and placed it on her head. Robin lifted it up with her finger and looked up at him surprised.

"I probably shouldn't wear it. Can you watch it for me?" he asked with a grin.

Robin stared up at him in surprise for awhile before smiling warmly at him. He had never entrusted her with his treasure before. She felt honored. "I shall protect it with my life." she said softly.

Luffy laughed, "No need to go that far, but I'm counting on you." he said as he smiled down at her.

"Ee…" she said as she nodded warm smile still on her face. Then both Luffy and Nami left the ship.

"I wonder what was up with Nami…?" asked Usopp with his hand to his chin.

"Who knows this time…" replied Zoro lazily as he closed his eyes.

----

Luffy and Nami walked to the place of the festival in silence, an uncomfortable silence. 'What's going on with Luffy?' she thought to herself as she looked over at him. He was looking away from her toward all the shops on his other side. Nami furrowed her brows, 'I hope he's okay…' she thought to herself.

They finally made it to the building of the festival. There was a man waiting there for the contestants. "Hello, might this be your partner?" he asked.

"Yes, he is." replied Nami with a smile.

The man smiled in return, "Alright, this young man will show you to your dressing room." he said to Luffy as he motioned to a young man behind him.

Nami handed the young man Luffy's slacks and shoes. "He might need help with his tie. Can you make sure someone is there to help him?" asked Nami to the young man.

"Yes ma'am. I will make sure someone will help him. Right this way sir." he replied with a smile as he turned to lead Luffy to his room. Luffy gave one last look at Nami before following the young man. Nami smiled at him before he turned and walked away. Nami had made sure the rest of his attire had been sent to his dressing room before she had sat with them for the remainder of the festival the day before. Once Luffy was out of sight, she turned and started for her dressing room.

She opened the door, stepped inside, and then closed the door. She leaned against it for awhile. She took a few deep breathes. 'I'm so nervous…' she thought to herself. Then she moved away from the door and changed her clothes. Once she was done changing she sat at the vanity and looked herself over. She applied a little cosmetic for show. Just as she finished with her touch ups, there was a knock on her door. She turned toward it in confusion. She got up and opened the door. There was a man standing there.

"Yes?" she asked confused.

"Sumimasen, I have come to direct all of the ladies to start the festival." he explained.

"Direct?" she asked with furrowed brows.

"Yes, ma'am, the women are to enter on one side and the men on the other." he explained.

"Oh, I see…" she replied as her face relaxed.

"Are you ready to go, ma'am?" he asked with a smile.

"U…un…" she replied and left her room closing the door behind her.

The escort stopped and picked up one more contestant, before leading them both to the left side of the stage. There were only six women competing today. The other four must have had too low a score and were eliminated.

Then the escort spoke, "You are to remain here until called for your performance. There is a man here who will direct you when it is your turn. The order in which you are standing is the order in which you will perform. You will exit the stage the same way you entered, on the left. You are to remain here the way you are dressed after your performance. You will be brought back on stage with your partners and the other contestants for the final scoring. Domo arigato." he explained before bowing and then leaving.

Nami looked at the rest of the contestants. She was fifth in line. 'So, we are fifth, huh?' she thought. Then she noticed Hanako was second. She narrowed her eyes. 'I wonder how well they are going to do?' she thought to herself. She sighed to herself and looked towards the wall in front of her. 'Luffy should be over there…' she thought to herself as she furrowed her brows. Then the pain in her chest returned. She doubled over slightly as she grabbed for her chest. Then she gasped. She slowly looked down and removed her hand and stared at it. 'Just now…my nails…they dug into my skin…Those scratches…his scratches…had he been…?' she thought to herself.

"Are…you okay?"

Nami quickly looked up to the girl on her left. She was the sixth contestant. Nami stood up straight, "U…un…I'm fine." she replied to the girl with a nervous smile.

"Nervous?" she asked with a smile.

"A…a little…" replied Nami with a genuine smile.

The girl looked away and looked a little worried, "Me too…I hope we win…" she said with a warm smile.

"I hope we do too…" replied Nami with a lopsided smile. The girl turned to her and laughed. Nami joined her laughter.

----

Luffy stood in the line with the other men where he had been directed to. He looked at the other men. They were all fidgety and looked nervous. He was just like them. He felt restless and nervous. He looked to the wall in front of him. "I wonder if Nami is on the other side…" he whispered. Then the pain shot up his chest. He grabbed it, "Not again…" he whispered. He winced from the pain in his chest and the scratches. "Whatever this is…is getting worse…or is it stronger…?" he whispered to himself as he furrowed his brows. The pain was like a horrible case of anxiety. He took a few deep breathes to calm himself down. He stood up straighter. The guy on his left was looking at him weird. He ignored him as he continued to stare at the wall in front of him. Finally, the first contestants were called onto the stage.

----

The crew sat in the crowd close to the middle. They listened to Mogu's announcements. It appeared there will only be six performances. Luffy and Nami were to be fifth.

"Fifth, huh?" said Sanji as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"Yeah, and that rude pair is second…" replied Usopp.

"I'm nervous…Think they will do okay?" asked Chopper.

"Me too…Yeah…Luffy won't step on her toes or anything will he?" asked Usopp.

"I'm sure Captain-san and Navigator-san will do just fine. Just believe in them." replied Robin with a gentle smile, Luffy's hat snug on her head.

"We have to get past these other performances first…I can't wait. Getting to see Luffy dance is a rare treat." replied Zoro with a devious grin.

"Aa, I have also been waiting for this…It will be something to see Luffy dancing…" replied Sanji with a chuckle.

"We see him doing crazy dances all the time…" replied Franky with a raised brow.

"Yeah, but not like this…" everyone replied.

"Well, I'm sure they will do just fine." remarked Franky with a grin.

Finally the performances started. The crew watched the rude pair's performance.

"Not bad…Only one mistake…That's better than the first performance. They were full of mistakes." remarked Sanji.

"Aa…Luffy and Nami better do better if they want to win this…" replied Zoro.

"Luffy not stepping on Nami's toes...? I kinda doubt it…" remarked Usopp with pursed lips.

Robin gave a bit of a laugh, "They will do just fine. Watch and see." she said with a gentle smile.

"You have so much confidence in them…" replied Usopp with narrowed eyes.

"Ee…they work really well together." she remarked.

"Eh?" they all asked looking towards her in confusion by her words. She only smiled and looked back down to the stage.

The other two performances were preformed. There were a lot of mistakes between the two. Now it was Luffy and Nami's turn.

Zoro rubbed both his hands together. "Here we go!" he said getting excited.

"Aa…let's see how our ahou Captain does…" replied Sanji with a grin.

"I'm so nervous!" cried Chopper.

"Me too!" cried Usopp with his hands in the air.

Mogu gave their introduction and walked off stage.

----

Nami's heart was pounding as she made her way up the stairs. She started walking towards the middle. She could see Luffy approaching from the other side. Her heart skipped a beat. They both stopped with a few feet apart from each other. She found herself smiling at him. He looked really good. He had his black slacks and shoes as well as the black striped, red long sleeve shirt, and silver tie with the diagonal silver stripes. The stripes were separate textures, but the same color. The tie matched with the silver buttons on his black vest. Even though his hair was in the same messy fashion as it always is…he still looked really good.

----

Luffy's heart was pounding as he climbed the stairs to the stage. He looked up, and saw her, his beautiful Navigator. He found himself smiling as he stopped a few feet from her. She wore a blue mini dress with spaghetti straps and a low 'V' neckline. It had a sheer skirt attached to the short hem of the dress. It flowed down loosely to her ankles. She wore silver high-heeled open toed shoes and jewelry. She wore a silver chain with silver ringed bracelets on each wrist and silver tear drop earrings. She had her hair in a half coil with a strand down her face. She looked beautiful.

The curtain began to open. Neither took their eyes off the other.

"Look! There they are!" exclaimed Chopper excitedly.

"Hooo, Luffy's all dressed up again." remarked Zoro with a huge smirk.

"He's even wearing a tie…" said Sanji with a side ways smile.

Once the curtains were fully opened, Luffy slowly raised his hand, offering it to Nami. Nami looked down at it and smiled. She slowly made her way to him and raised her hand. She hesitated before finally placing it in his. Luffy smiled and closed his hand around hers. Then all of a sudden, he forcefully pulled her to his chest. He put his other hand on her waist as he held her other hand. Nami brought her other hand to his shoulder. Once they were in position the music started, and so did their dance.

As soon as Nami stepped back with one leg, Luffy would step forward in its place. Their bodies stayed glued to each other. They twirled together a few times, as well as Luffy twirling Nami and then pulling her back to his body.

The crew's eyes bugged out and jaws dropped, except for Robin who only looked surprised. They were both extremely graceful and agile, and their bodies stayed glued together. Luffy had yet to step on Nami's toes.

Then suddenly, Luffy dipped Nami back. The hand that was on her waist slid across her back for support and he brought the hand holding hers out behind him palm down. She went down slowly. She brought the hand he had been holding out over her head gracefully while the other held his arm. Luffy slid one of his legs behind him for support, while the other leg…Luffy's knee was brought up between her legs. Nami slid one leg out next to the one he had between hers. The other she used for support. She was basically sitting on his knee.

The crew's eyes bugged further and jaws dropped wider, except for Robin who only looked more surprised.

That wasn't all Luffy was leaning over Nami, just inches above her low neckline. Then he finally pulled her up slowly. They resumed eye contact. Through out the whole dance, except for the dip, their eye contact never broke and they both had serious expressions. They twirled a few more times before Nami spun away from Luffy. Still holding hands they stood side by side. Then Luffy pulled on Nami as she twirled into him with her back to his front. She tilted her chin up to look at him while he leaned into her to look her at. Then she twirled away, but it was short lived, Luffy forcefully pulled her back to him. They dance, twirled, and dipped a few more times. The entire dance they kept perfect harmony and sync. Not once had Luffy stepped on her toes.

Luffy brought Nami down for the finally dip. It was done slower, much slower, than the other dips. Then Luffy slowly brought Nami up only enough to face him. He still held her in the dip, and then the music ended. They stayed staring into one another's eyes transfixed, even after the music and dance had already ended. Both were breathing heavily from the exertion of the dance. The audience sat stunned into silence at what they just witnessed, even the crew continued to only stare at the two with huge eyes and mouths open. Then there was a deafening roar from the crowd as they cheered. Luffy and Nami were jolted out of their trance as they both turned to the crowd. Luffy made a noise in realization. He looked back down at Nami. She was still in the dip and on his knee. He pulled her up. Then still holding hands they both faced the crowd and bowed.

The entire audience stood up and continued their applause. Even the crew was cheering for them loudly.

"NAMI-SAAAN!!! LUFFY!!!!" yelled Sanji.

"GO LUFFY, NAMI!!!" yelled Usopp, Chopper, and Zoro.

"SUPAAAA JOB LUFFY-ANIKI, NAMI-ONEESAN!!!!" yelled Franky in his blue star pose.

Robin was clapping and smiling warmly down at the two, in a more reserved applause.

The curtain closed blocking the two from the view of the audience. Nami was ecstatic. She couldn't believe the audience's reaction. She leapt onto Luffy wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his torso as she laughed gleefully, "Did you hear them?! Did you hear how loud they were cheering?! This is great! We are going to win this for sure!!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Luffy had made a surprised noise as Nami had leapt onto him. He caught her so she wouldn't fall and then joined her contagious glee. "Aa, I heard them!" he exclaimed as he laughed with her.

"We didn't even make a single mistake!!" she exclaimed.

Luffy laughed, "I know! I thought I would step on your toes for sure!" he exclaimed still laughing.

Nami's laughter died down and then she stared down at Luffy wide eyed. She finally realized where she was and who she was on. "G…gomen…" she said quietly. A blush crept up her cheeks as she stared down at Luffy with wide eyes.

Luffy chuckled, "It's okay. You were just happy." he said grinning as he set her down.

Nami brushed her hair out of her face and straightened her clothes. Then with the blush still staining her cheeks she smiled at Luffy, "So…see you at the scoring?" she said nervously.

"Aa." he replied quietly as he nodded. Then they both turned and headed off each side of the stage. Nami stopped just before going down the stairs and turned back to look toward Luffy. She watched as he descended the stairs and disappeared around the corner.

"Ma'am?"

Nami gasped and quickly turned. "G…gomen!" she apologized to the man smiling up at her and made her way down. As she turned the corner, she involuntarily looked over at Hanako. The woman glared at her. Nami turned away with a frown. They hadn't been able to see each other's dance. 'I wonder how they did?' she thought to herself as she got back in line.

The last performance finally ended. It had seemed like an eternity for the whole crew.

The contestants made their way back up the stairs. Nami watched as the men came up on stage from the other side. Her eyes locked with Luffy's as they approached one another. They both turned towards the closed curtain, standing side by side in the order of their performance. "This is it…" said Nami quietly as she stared at the closed curtain.

"Aa…" replied Luffy also quietly as he too stared at the closed curtain.

Then the curtain opened and there was a huge cheer from the audience. Luffy and Nami smiled at their crew who were also cheering loudly for them. Six women walked on stage each carrying a covered card. A woman stopped in front of each pair. Luffy and Nami watched as one stopped in front of them. Nami was very nervous and full of anxiety. She grabbed Luffy's hand and held it tightly. Luffy looked down at their held hands and then looked up at Nami face expressionless.

"Mellorine!! What beautiful women!!" exclaimed Sanji with his love-love eyes. The crew turned and glared toward him.

Mogu stepped on stage and faced the crowd. "Each of these Beeauutiful women has a concealed card that contains each score for the pair they are standing in front of! So, let's have it! What is on pair number one's card?!" he exclaimed loudly as he motioned to the first pair. The woman in front of them revealed their card. "We have a 9!!" exclaimed Mogu. The pair looked downcast. "Now for card number two!!" exclaimed Mogu. Nami tightened her grip on Luffy's hand. He winced slightly at the pain, but said nothing. "We have a 9.5 everyone!!! So far pair number two is in the lead!!" exclaimed Mogu. Nami squeezed Luffy's hand tighter. He winced again, but still said nothing. He looked over at her. 'A 9.5, huh…? They must have done a really good job…' thought Nami as she stared at the pair. Luffy looked over at the rude pair with an expressionless gaze. They were both looking at Luffy and Nami with smug smiles.

The other two cards were revealed an 8.5 and another 9. It was finally time for their revealing. Nami pulled her and Luffy's hands to her chin and closed her other hand around it in her anxiety. Luffy looked back over at her, face expressionless. The crew sat at the edges of their seats waiting for the card to be revealed. Nami closed her eyes tightly. The woman revealed their card. "WE HAVE A 10!!! A 10!!! The first 10 in over twenty years!!!" exclaimed Mogu.

Nami's eyes flew open and a grin broke out onto her face. "And the last card is another 9!! We have our winner's folks, The Monkey pair!! Congratulations to the happy couple!!" exclaimed Mogu loudly.

Nami released Luffy's hands and threw herself on him in her happiness, "We won!!" she exclaimed as she laughed.

"Aa…we won!" replied Luffy as he laughed. Nami opened her eyes and looked towards the rude pair as she was still holding onto Luffy's neck. They were glaring at them. Luffy turned toward them. Then he and Nami both gave the pair roguish grins. Hanako turned her nose up in the air and both she and Meji stormed off stage. The other pairs also left the stage, some of the women in tears.

Then Nami made a throaty noise, "Wait…did he just say…couple?" she asked loudly.

"Are?" questioned Luffy as he looked down at her. She pulled away from him and looked up into his face.

"Let's have a kiss to seal the deal!!" exclaimed Mogu.

Both Luffy and Nami's eyes grew wide. Nami quickly turned to Mogu, "A…a…kiss?!" she asked.

Mogu turned toward them, "That's right, a kiss. It's customary in the festival…Is that a problem?" he asked as he raised a brow.

"No…no, of course not!" she replied with a nervously laugh.

The whole crew's eyes bugged out of their head, "NAAANI?!!" they yelled at Mogu's request. Robin only looked down with wide eyes in surprise. The crowd nearest them turned and looked at them with weird expressions. "Oi, she's not really going to do it, is she?!" asked Zoro in a hushed voice toward the others.

Suddenly, the audience began to chant, "Kiss, Kiss, Kiss!!"

"Matte, Nami-san!!" exclaimed Sanji as sweat beaded down his face.

Then she turned toward Luffy and looked up at him slowly with a pained expression. "Oi, Nami, you aren't serious…are you?" asked Luffy as sweat beaded down his face. He also had a pained expression.

"I'm not about to lose my money and free stay at a luxury hotel now, when I've come so far! I can't just say no!" she replied in a hushed voice. He frowned down at her as sweat beaded down his face. She stepped closer into him and tilted her chin up.

"Na…mi…" he said a little worried.

"Oi, oi, oi, what is she doing?!" exclaimed Zoro in a loud hushed voice.

"Nami-san!!" exclaimed Sanji as he bit down on his vest.

Nami looked up into Luffy's eyes. 'This will be my first kiss…' she thought to herself. She began to move closer to him. Luffy gulped as he watched her come closer to his lips. She brought both hands up to his chest and kept coming closer as her eyes began to hood. He found her hooded gaze entrancing and felt himself relax. Then his eyes also began to hood. Finally her lips touched his in a gentle kiss. She closed her eyes as her hands slid up his chest and around his neck. He closed his eyes and his arms seemed to move on their own, wrapping themselves around her waist pulling her closer to him. The audience cheered loudly.

"What the hell?!!" yelled the crew.

Robin's eyes were wide in surprise. Then she smiled down at the two. "Yare, yare…" she said quietly.

"She really…did it!!" exclaimed Usopp in disbelief.

"NAMI-SAN!!" exclaimed Sanji with tears in his eyes.

"I can't believe she actually kissed him!!" yelled Zoro.

"Not just her…looks like he's kissing her back to me…and it's not just a peck…She must really want that money…" remarked Franky as he lifted his sunglasses with his index finger.

Nami finally pulled away from Luffy and looked up into his eyes in a hooded daze. He looked back down at her in the same hooded daze.

"Congratulations again to the happy couple!!" exclaimed Mogu as he motioned to them.

Nami's eyes fully opened as she turned toward Mogu. "Chotto matte, that's the second time you've said that!" she exclaimed with furrowed brows as she walked away from Luffy toward Mogu.

Then the curtain began to close. Mogu put down the den-den mushi he had been using to speak through and turned to Nami, "That's right." he replied looking at her confused.

"What do you mean by that?!" she asked.

Mogu laughed, "You're joking, right?" he asked nervously.

Nami and Luffy both stared at him with serious expressions. The curtain finally closed. Mogu stared at their serious expressions. Sweat beaded down around his face as he laughed nervously again, "You _are _joking…right?!" he said as he continued to laugh nervously.

Nami's eyes furrowed in worry, 'What's going on…?' she thought as her breathing began to quicken. "Why do you think we are joking?" she asked.

Mogu stopped smiling, "Well you _must_ be! You just completed the ceremony!" he exclaimed with furrowed brows.

"The…the…the _what_?! What _ceremony_?!" yelled Nami in alarm as sweat beaded down her face.

"Well…the ceremony of marriage, of course!" he replied.

Nami inhaled sharply while Luffy made a throaty noise as their eyes grew huge and sweat beaded down their face. "What…did you say?" whispered Nami.

"Cho…chotto matte, you mean to tell me you didn't _know_?!!" yelled Mogu in alarm at her question.

Nami felt herself panic, "KNOW?! This wasn't on your poster!!" she yelled frantically.

"Actually…it was…" he replied as he pulled out a miniature flyer of the poster they saw when they first landed from his shirt pocket.

Nami snatched the paper out of his hands and began to read it. She read all the way down toward the end and gasped as her eyes went huge in horror. At the very bottom in fine print, was the word 'marriage'. She gripped the paper tightly, almost ripping it in half.

"Nami?" called Luffy concerned.

The rest of the crew made their way on stage. They spotted Luffy and Nami and began walking towards them, "Oi, Nami, what the hell was with…" began Zoro but stopped as he noticed her facial expression. "Oi, Nami, what's wrong?" he asked as they ran to them.

"There…there has to be some way…to…reverse this or…or void this or something!!" yelled Nami frantically as she looked at Mogu.

"Nami…" called Luffy softly in concern again.

"You mustn't!!" yelled Mogu in a slight panic.

"Oi, Nami, what the hell is going on?!" yelled Zoro. Nami slowly turned to them, the look of horror still on her face.

"Na…Nami-san…? What's going on?" asked Sanji as he was becoming concerned. She slowly rose a hand a handed them the flyer. Zoro snatched it and began to read it.

"It's the same as the poster we read when we first landed…" said Usopp in confusion.

"Just read it…" she whispered as she looked back to Mogu. "Why _mustn't_ we?" she asked in a low voice.

"You will bring a curse upon our island if you do!" he exclaimed. Nami's eyes grew larger at his words. Luffy furrowed his brows with slightly parted lips in surprise at his words.

"NAAAAANNNNNNIII?!!!" yelled the crew as the read the whole flyer. Nami bowed her head.

"Yare, yare…" whispered Robin with huge eyes as sweat beaded down her face.

Luffy looked at Nami in concern. "Nami…gomen…" he said softly.

Nami turned to him quickly, "You're sorry?! Luffy, what do you have to be sorry about?! This is…all my fault…" she said the last part softly as she looked down. She looked on the verge of tears.

"This has to be some kind of joke!!" yelled Sanji.

"What is it with the jokes…?" asked Mogu quietly.

Nami turned and glared at him, "You started it!!" she yelled. He laughed nervously.

"What…what kind of curse is it?" asked Robin curious.

Everyone turned to look at Mogu. Mogu looked down, "A horrible curse. The deity of this island will forcibly, erupt the volcano. You see, the Dance Festival is part of a ritual to appease it. If…if the volcano erupts…people will die…" he explained quietly.

Everyone made throaty noise in response to his words. Nami looked down and smiled a mirthless smile as her eyes were shadowed, "I…I guess…it's not so bad…I mean…its only marriage…and we've completed the ritual…" she said quietly. Luffy frowned at her words.

"_Only_, Nami-san…?!" exclaimed Sanji.

"No…you haven't completely the ritual…The ceremony yes, but not the ritual. I said the Dance Festival was only part of the ritual…" explained Mogu.

Nami quickly looked up at Mogu with huge eyes. "Nani…?" she whispered.

"What do you mean only _part_ of the ritual?!" asked Usopp loudly.

Nami stared at Mogu as sweat beaded down her face, "How…how do we…complete the ritual…?" she asked, however, she was sure she knew what he was going to say.

Mogu furrowed his brows, "You must…consummate the marriage…" he replied in a low voice.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!!!" yelled the crew. Robin stared at Mogu with wide eyes.

Nami stared at him with large eyes in disbelief. She could barely breathe. "Oi…Nami…what does…consummate mean?" asked Luffy quietly and uncertain.

Nami slowly turned to him. He was looking back at her in concern. Mogu started to laugh nervously, "You mean to tell me…that you don't understand?!" he asked as he laughed.

Nami quickly turned to Mogu, "Don't laugh at him!!" she yelled angrily. Mogu immediately stopped laughing and frowned at her. Everyone made throaty noises as they looked at her in surprise. "He…wouldn't understand…Luffy…Luffy isn't like that…" she said softly. She wanted to cry. She felt the tears form, but blinked them away.

Everyone looked at her sadly, "Nami…" said Usopp softly in concern.

"Nami-san…" said Sanji also in concern.

'People will die…' echoed through out her mind. "Luffy…it means…it means we have to…" she choked on her words. Her heart was pounding. She was having trouble saying it. She had to think of a word he would understand, without using the much harsher one.

Luffy stepped towards her, "Nami…?" he called quietly.

She slowly looked up at him. 'I have to just say it…' she thought to herself. "It means…we have to…" she took a deep breath, 'Just say it!' she yelled to herself in her mind. "It means we have to…mate…Luffy…" she finally said.

The look on his face told her he understood. He had made a throaty noise in surprise and took a step back from her with huge eyes. Luffy looked towards the others. There eyes were downcast. Then he furrowed his brows and looked toward Mogu, "How strong is this deity?" he asked in a low serious tone.

Everyone quickly looked up at him. "Are you out of your mind?!" yelled Mogu.

"Luffy! NO!!" yelled Nami at the same time. Everyone looked at her surprised.

"Nami?" questioned Luffy confused. She had almost sounded frantic.

"Don't you even think about what I think you're thinking! Luffy, are you forgetting what happened the last time we fought a _so called_ deity?!" she asked.

"But Nami, we beat him didn't we?" he said as if she forgot this fact.

"Barely! Luffy, we were just lucky you were immune to him!...No...Luffy, this is my fault…I'm not going to let anyone get hurt or die because of my stupid mistake...I…I got greedy…and was selfish…No…it can be solved with out anyone being hurt…It's only marriage…and…my virginity…No big deal…" she said the last part quietly with a mirthless laugh. Then she looked down, her eyes shadowed, "It's a small price to pay when lives are at stake…especially all of yours…" she continued in a low voice.

Luffy frowned even deeper, "Nami…you don't have to…" he started to say.

Nami looked up at him quickly interrupting him, "Yes I do!!" she practically yelled at him. Luffy made a surprised noise at her outburst. "This is my fault! My fight…I don't want anyone to get hurt…" she said as she looked down.

Luffy's face relaxed. He walked up to her, "You say you don't want anyone to be hurt…Nami…what about you?" he asked softly.

Nami looked up at him with wide eyes. He looked sad to her. Tears began to glide down her cheeks. Luffy made a throaty noise at her tears, "Only thinking about others…You would suffer too…Wouldn't you? I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry that I dragged you down with me…Please Luffy…I have to do this…I wouldn't…I wouldn't…" she looked down, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you because of such a stupid mistake…If you want to help me…" she looked back up at him, "Luffy, please…just suffer alone with me…" she pleaded softly. Luffy's face fell as he watched the tears stream down her face. Then he nodded slowly. Everyone was looking at the two in concern. Chopper was tearing up.

Mogu cleared his throat, "Are you ready to be escorted to your hotel?" he asked.

Nami dried her tears and looked toward him, "Un…" she replied with a nod.

"Tomo will escort you." he said as he motioned to a woman standing some distance behind him. The woman bowed. Nami began to walk towards her and followed her. With the sad expression still on his face, Luffy began to follow.

"Oi, Luffy…you aren't really going through with this…are you?" asked Zoro.

Luffy stopped walking and slowly looked toward him, "I will do whatever she asks of me…If this is the help she wants…then I will help her…Unless she asks otherwise…I will help her no matter what……She is my Nakama." he said softly as he slightly looked down his hair concealing his eyes.

Zoro's eyes widened in surprise, and then his face relaxed as he nodded.

Robin walked up to him placing his hat on his head. Luffy looked up toward her. She was smiling at him sadly. He looked down concealing his eyes and continued to follow.

Then suddenly, he stopped. He watched Nami follow Tomo down the stairs and turn the corner, "Oi, announcer-ossan…" he called in a low voice without turning.

"Ha…hai?" asked Mogu.

"How long do we have until?" asked Luffy.

"Uh…until…sunrise…" he replied slightly confused. Luffy only nodded, walked down the stairs and disappeared around the corner.

Mogu scoffed, "You don't mean to tell me he doesn't want this…He's a guy…" whispered Mogu to himself.

The crew looked over at him angrily, "What did you say, you bastard announcer?!" yelled Sanji as he stomped over grabbing the guy by his shirt. Mogu cried out in alarm as his feet left the floor. "You don't know our Captain!! Of course he doesn't want this! He would do anything for his Nakama, and so would we! If…if this is what Nami-san wants…then…Luffy isn't like that…He will find a way. You heard him ask how long we have…which means…" Sanji turned to the crew, "he's counting on us! He might try and delay it." he said to them. Everyone nodded to him.

"Let's head back to the ship…find out what we can. We have to try to help them." Zoro said to the crew. Everyone nodded. Sanji threw Mogu to the ground as he followed the others off the stage.

Mogu stood up as he watched them leave and dusted himself off. Then he grinned maliciously, "Good luck with that…" he said as he chuckled to himself.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **Sumimasen is a various form of "pardon me/excuse me", "I'm sorry". It's basically just a polite apology.

**Author's Note: **Uwaah! And the plot thickens!! Dun dun dun!!! XP I can just see all of your expressions during this chapter! HAHAHA!! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Like I said before, this is one of my favorite chapters! To me it's the turning point of my story! XD I decided not to use a whole lot of Japanese this time. It's a pain in the butt, I know. Anywho, please review and give me your thoughts. I'm sure you all have a lot to say! XD


	12. Chapter 12: Unhidden Emotions

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys! Here is this week's chapter! I'm having a little trouble with chapter 15. Hopefully it won't catch up to me and then I take forever submitting a chapter. Q.Q So I'm sorry if that does happen in advance. I'm also having some trouble with chapter 5 of Midnight Lullaby. I am trying my best for you guys though! XD Anyways, I hope you all enjoy chapter 12 of Phoenix! Please review! Flames and criticism are welcome! Enjoy! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 12: Unhidden Emotions**

As soon as Luffy and Nami exited the building, there was a huge crowd of people waiting for them outside. As soon as the crowd spotted them, they began to cheer loudly and tossed flower petals in the air above them. Both Luffy and Nami were surprised by the large crowd that had gathered. Nami put on a fake smile and began to wave at everyone. Luffy as always had a blank expression. They were ushered to a carriage. Luffy helped Nami climb aboard and then climbed up after her. Tomo climb up front with the driver, and then the carriage set off. They both sat in silence, not knowing what to say.

'We've just been…married…' thought Nami as her face turned into a sad frown, 'Not like this…I didn't want…Not like this…' she thought to herself as she put a hand to her mouth. She felt sick. She wanted to cry again. Luffy looked over at Nami with his expressionless face, having seen her move from the corner of his eyes. He frowned in sadness. She looked miserable. Luffy looked away from her with his frown. Did she hate being stuck with someone like him? He watched as they past shop after shop.

"OOI! Mugiwara!!" they heard someone yell.

Luffy sat up straighter, "Ah, Niku-ossan!" he yelled with a grin. Nami turned to Luffy quickly in surprise. He was grinning and acting like his happy-go-lucky self again.

"Congratulations on your marriage!!" Lou yelled from his shop.

"Ah, arigato Niku-ossan!!" yelled Luffy with a huge grin as he laughed and waved at him. As soon as they passed the shop, his shoulders drooped, his arm was placed back down at his side slowly, his grin faded, his face fell, and his eyes…lost their gleam. Nami's eyes grew wide as she stared at her Captain. He looked…sad.

'He looks like that…because of me…It had been an act…How many other times had he 'acted' like he was happy? I thought…he was always happy…' she thought to herself as she continued to stare at him. Then she inhaled sharply. His words from in the crow's nest came back to her, '"Besides, it's better to keep everyone else happy. If I wasn't happy, then you guys wouldn't be either. Someone has to keep us all happy, right?"' She continued to stare at him wide eyed with the words echoing in her mind, '"Besides, it's better to keep everyone else happy"'...'Keep everyone else happy….' Tears began to form in her eyes, 'What about you…?'

Luffy turned and looked at her and then looked surprised. Then he smiled at her…a sad…empty smile…It was different, she could see it now…She could see his unhappiness. He used to be happy…and now she's made him sad…She looked away from him to keep herself from crying. His face fell once again as he turned away from her.

'Had there been other times when he pretended to be happy? Were there other times when he just didn't feel good or wasn't in a good mood, but had been happy for them? The time after Usopp's fight was the only time I had ever seen him depressed. Right now, he isn't happy…Maybe I'm getting it wrong. There were those times he would sit on Merry's head and now Sunny's. Maybe those were the times he needed for himself. After all, that was the whole reason everyone was so curious. That's the whole reason I had talked to him that first time. That seemed like so long ago now…Now…now we're married…' she thought to herself. 'It would have been nice if Lou-san or anyone else had said something sooner! We might have been able to have dropped out of the competition and avoided all of this…It's too late now…No sense in thinking about that…We're stuck…He's stuck with me…A selfish, temperamental, money hungry girl…' she thought as her face contorted in a deeper frown in sadness.

----

They finally arrived at the hotel and spa. Luffy jumped out and helped Nami down. He smiled at her sadly as he put his hands on her waist and lifted her out of the carriage. Once her feet touched the ground she looked away from him. She couldn't bear to look at his sad smile. Each time his face would fall and his heart would sink lower. They both followed Tomo up some stairs to the courtyard above on the hotel property. They both stopped to look around. It really was beautiful. Nami found herself smiling despite their situation. There were flowers and beautiful trees every where, all colors and varieties. There was a large fountain in the middle that was surrounded by paths and flowers. There were also benches for those who would want to sit and take in the scenery. The sun was still setting behind them, so there was still some light and they were able to see everything. The setting sun added to the beauty.

"This is beautiful…" exclaimed Nami with a smile as she turned toward Luffy. He was smiling at her with that same sad smile, but she thought she saw something else…warmth? She turned around no longer smiling as a blush crept up her cheeks. Luffy's smile vanished again as she turned around. By now, he was feeling totally rejected. She didn't want him…Had she for a moment forgotten who she was with…?

Tomo turned to the two still standing in the middle of the courtyard, "Right this way, please." she said politely with a smile. Both Luffy and Nami looked toward her and walked toward her. "Perhaps you would like to eat first? We have a small feast prepared for you." she said as they approached.

Nami smiled again, 'That might make him happy.' she thought. "That would be great! I'm sure my Capt…" Nami stopped mid sentence, "I mean…" she turned and looked at Luffy who looked back at her a little confused with lips slightly parted. "I'm sure Luffy would love to eat." she finally said smiling at him.

He smiled in return, his smile a little bigger this time, but still with some sadness. "Aa…" he replied with a nod.

Then Nami turned to follow Tomo, Luffy following behind her. As they walked Nami looked at the hotel itself. It had six stories and it seemed each room on the upper floors had a balcony. It had great detail and architecture. Tomo guided them inside. The entrance was large. The doors were solid wood and beautiful. Two doormen held the doors open for them. The inside lobby was huge and also beautiful. It had marble floors and columns, beautiful architecture, with spiral stairs on each side of the lobby, and a large fountain in the middle. There was also a balcony on the second floor. Nami could hear voices from upstairs. Tomo continued to guide them down a hall to the left of the lobby and stopped at some double doors. She opened them to reveal a large banquet room. In the middle was a long table. In the middle of the long table was a beautiful arrangement of floors. At the other end of the table was a small feast.

Nami looked over at Luffy who had a smile on his face and a little more light in his eyes. "Please, have a seat." said Tomo in her polite voice as she motioned to the other end of the table. Luffy began to walk to the other end of the table, Nami following him.

Even in their situation. Luffy still loved to eat. Nami found this humorous, yet not so humorous at the same time. They both sat down at the table. Nami didn't really have an appetite. She was still a little nauseous over everything that had just happened to them. She decided not to eat. Luffy looked over at Nami and noticed she wasn't eating. Then he realized that he was happy about the food. She was probably still troubled over what had just happened, but all he seemed to care about was the food. He lowered his head concealing his eyes with his hat and didn't touch the food.

Nami looked over at Luffy. He still hadn't touched the food. He had his head lowered and his eyes concealed by his hat. He looked sad again. "Lu…Luffy, aren't you going to eat?" she asked softly. He only shook his head no. "But…why not?" she asked softly.

"I…I'm not hungry…" he replied quietly. Nami's eyes went wide. She had wanted to make him happy with the food…but was selfishly bothered that he could eat at a time like this. 'Baka!' she yelled to herself. He probably wasn't eating because she wasn't. Nami looked over at the food. "But it looks really good, doesn't it?" she asked with some cheer in her voice as she smiled. Luffy looked up toward her. "I think I might try some of this. It looks delicious!" she exclaimed as her smile widened. 'Please Luffy…eat something…' she thought to herself.

Luffy looked over at the dish she was serving herself. It did look delicious. "Why don't you try it too?" she suggested cheerfully as she began to serve him some as well. Luffy looked down at the plate she was serving him and then looked back up at her. She smiled at him and then began to eat after serving him. Luffy watched her for awhile. 'Please…Luffy…eat…' she continued to beg him in her mind. Then he looked down at his plate, picked up his fork, and slowly began to eat. He ate with civilized manners again. No reason to make her dislike him more than she might already.

Then he noticed she had stopped eating again. He looked up at her. She was smiling at him. A smile so warm…or at least…it made him feel warm. He looked back down at his plate and blushed. He continued to eat. Her smile became warmer as she watched him for awhile. He was eating with manners again. The same feeling she had felt at the banquet washed over her again. 'What is this feeling…?' she thought to herself. It made her feel warm, gave her goose bumps, and…something else. Something else…that she didn't know, it was an unfamiliar feeling. The emptiness in her chest began to fill, but the longing…it felt worse…'What is this…longing? A longing for…what?' she thought to herself. Her chest began to hurt. She refused to bring her hand to it. 'He might notice…' she thought. Instead she continued to eat.

----

After awhile, Luffy put his fork down. He hadn't eaten nearly as much as he usually does. However, Nami was glad he did eat. Nami took one last sip of her wine before setting it back down on the table. Luffy drank the rest of his and set his glass back on the table. Tomo approached them, "Would you like to make use of the spa now?" she asked them in her polite voice.

"Yes, please. That would be lovely." replied Nami looking up at her.

"Right this way, please." she said with a smile as she walked towards the doors. Luffy and Nami got up and followed her. She guided them back down the hall and across the lobby to the hall way on the other side. She stopped at a second set of double doors. On the doors there was a sign that read 'Closed Due to The Dance Festival'. Another sign read 'Women's Spa'. Tomo opened the doors, walked in and to the side for them to follow her in. They both followed inside. Tomo shut the doors and turned and walked to the right.

Both Luffy and Nami stood and looked ahead in awe. There was a very large bath in the middle of a very large room. There was a statued fountain of two cherubs holding tilted basins as water flowed from them. The bath was full of bubbles, and there was steam filling the room. "This way, please." called Tomo from the right politely. They both turned to look towards her. Tomo was standing next to an open door. They both walked towards her and the door and stepped inside. Tomo walked in slightly and grabbed the door knob and pulled is slightly closed. "You may disrobe in this dressing room. There are robes you may use here." she said as she pointed to some robes on hooks.

"Cho…chotto matte, disrobe?" asked Luffy in disbelief with wide eyes. Tomo only smiled at him before closing the door on her way out. Luffy reached out a hand and took a step toward the door, but she was gone. Then he slowly turned back to Nami with a pained expression on his face. "They don't really mean for us to…in here?" he asked Nami nervously.

Nami closed her eyes and sighed at him, "We're married…remember? Of course they do…" she replied as she opened her eyes and looked at Luffy. Luffy's jaw dropped. She just shrugged as she turned toward the robe and began to disrobe in front of Luffy.

Luffy made a noise of disbelief, "O…Oi, Nami!! What are you…?!" he began to say and since she continued to disrobe he turned his back on her.

Nami sighed again, "Luffy…we're married…" she repeated. Luffy kept silent. "You should do the same you know." she said in a bored tone. She removed her dress and under garments and set them in a cupboard. Then she began to slip into the robe.

Luffy turned to a robe and without turning toward Nami, he hurriedly began to disrobe. Nami turned to him just as he slipped his robe over his shoulders. He tied the belt and then turned toward her frown on his face. "There's no point in being modest now, Luffy…There's still…later…" she said quietly as she turned her head away from him.

Luffy made a throaty noise before turning away from her as well. "Not if there's anything I can do about it…" he whispered quietly to himself with a sad frown.

Nami turned toward him, "Did you say something…?" she asked.

"No…let's go…" he said quietly as he turned and opened the door.

They both walked out and toward Tomo, who was waiting just outside for them. "Perhaps you might want to start off with a therapeutic massage before entering the bath?" she asked.

"That would be wonderful." replied Nami with a smile as she followed Tomo.

Luffy stood where he was with wide eyes, "Bath…?" he whispered as sweat beaded down his face.

Nami turned to him, "You coming?" she asked quietly.

"Aa…" he also replied quietly as he began to follow them.

Tomo directed them to some massage tables. There were two women waiting for them that hadn't been there when they first entered. One was an older woman and the other only a little older than they were. Nami sat at the first table with the older woman. Luffy walked toward the other and reluctantly sat down. The woman just smiled at him. Nami began to slip out of the top half of her robe and turned to lie face down on the table. Luffy blushed and turned away from her. The younger woman giggled quietly at his reaction. Then he reluctantly slipped out of the top half of his robe and lay face down and leaned his chin on his crossed arms.

The women began the massage. Nami watched as Tomo lit some incense. The younger woman smiled down at Luffy. "You're so tense." she said softly as she leaned over toward him.

"Re…really?" he asked nervously.

"Un…you must relax. There are no worries here." she said in a very soft voice. "I will take care of you." she continued softly.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Nami annoyed. The woman and Luffy both looked over at her in surprise. She was slightly leaning up exposing quite a bit of her bust as she was turned to the woman. She had an annoyed expression on her face.

"Su…sumimasen!!" exclaimed the younger woman as she blushed. Luffy was looking at her in confusion. Nami looked toward him as her eyes went wide as she blushed. Then she turned and leaned her chin back on her folded arms.

'Was I…_jealous_ just now?!' she thought to herself. Luffy realized Nami's half naked state and leaned back down on his folded arms. The sound of the other woman's voice had irritated her. Nami breathed in the scent of the incense deeply trying to calm herself down. Normally, she wouldn't have cared about the other woman, but just now…she couldn't stand the sound of the other woman's voice, or rather who that voice was directed to. 'It's bad enough she's touching him…' Nami's eyes went huge as she made a quiet throaty noise. 'I _am_ jealous!! Oh…my…' Nami frowned deeply and continued to take deep breathes. The fact that she was indeed jealous agitated her.

After about thirty minutes, the massage was done. Both Luffy and Nami sat up and put their robes back on. Tomo once again approached them. "Perhaps you would like to share a bath now?" she asked with a smile.

"Sh…share?" asked Luffy nervously. Sweat beaded down his face as he gulped.

"Yes, Luffy…share…"replied Nami as she glared at him. Luffy stared at her with huge eyes. He looked like a cornered animal. If she hadn't been so agitated from earlier, she might have laughed. Even though she didn't laugh, her spirits were lifted slightly.

They both walked over to the gigantic pool of a bath, passing some showers along the way. The steamy and bubbly water looked inviting to Nami. Without thinking about it, or rather, without caring, Nami untied her robe and slipped out of it placing it on a bench near by. She heard Luffy make a noise behind her. She smiled to herself as she walked over to the water and stepped in.

Luffy watched as Nami approached the water. Then suddenly, she untied and removed her robe. He made a noise of disbelief, blushed and quickly turned away. "Why must she do that?!" he whispered to himself as he creased his brow.

"You can look now…" said Nami in a bored tone. Luffy reluctantly looked back toward the bath. She was sitting in the bubbly water only the top of her bust visible.

Luffy blushed as he frowned down at her. She looked back at him with a bored expression on her pretty face. She stared at his furrowed stubborn eyes. "I told you it's pointless…" she said still in her bored tone. She watched as he walked over and plopped down on a bathing stool and crossed his arms as he continued to frown at her.

'Is he mad at me? Does he hate that he's stuck with someone like me?' she thought to herself as they stared at one another. "Aren't you coming in?" she asked. He only continued to stare at her. She found herself smiling. "You aren't afraid of me…are you Luffy?" she asked in a teasing and seductive voice. She noticed a blush creep across his cheeks as sweat beaded down his face. His frown deepened. "Aww, come on Luffy…" she continued in her seductive voice as she hooded her eyes at him. His blushed deepened and then he glared at her.

She closed her eyes and sighed with a slight smile on her face, "Alright fine…I promise to behave…" she said as she turned around away from him.

Luffy stood up and slowly walked over to the water. He removed his robe and threw it next to hers and then stepped into the water.

Nami heard movement behind her. Then she heard the water sloshing as the bubbles rippled toward her. 'So, he really did come in…' she thought to herself with a slight smile. Once the sloshing and ripples stopped she looked over at him and smiled. Only his chest was visible. He blushed as he furrowed his brows and turned toward the cherubs in the middle. Her smile widened. Luffy kept his eyes on the cherubs for awhile before moving towards them. Nami watched him as he moved toward the middle of the bath. He kept going until he got deeper in and then he stood up and began to walk. Nami raised a brow. 'It must be deeper further down.' she thought to herself. The water came up to just under his lower back. She watched as his back muscles moved as he walked through the water.

He stopped in front of the water flowing out of one of the basins. He looked up at it awhile before moving to its front. Now, Nami had a frontal view of Luffy, from just below his belly button up. She had to admit he was well muscled. He smiled at the flowing water, and then stepped under it, tilting his face up into the stream. She could hear him chuckling to himself. She smiled. He always did enjoy the simple things in life. As she continued to watch the water flow down his body, she felt herself blush and her body grew hot.

She furrowed her brows and then began to move towards him. He came out for breath and laughed before going back under. She continued until she was next to him, keeping herself hidden under the bubbles. She looked up at the water flowing out of the basin and then back down at him. He was grinning as his face was tilted up into the stream. He pulled back again and then noticed her from the corner of his eye. He yelped in surprise and fell over backwards splashing water everywhere.

He came up gasping for air. He looked back over at Nami, whose hair was drenched and covering her face. He began to get a little nervous. Then the unexpected happened, Nami burst out laughing. Luffy stared at her in confusion for awhile before his lips twitched and he began to join her laughter. Nami lifted a hand and shoved water at him. He put his arms up to block it and then splashed her back. She laughed as she shoved more water at him. The water fight continued for awhile until Nami shoving the water continuously at him made her lose her footing and fall forward onto Luffy. The only things between them were water…and bubbles. They both came up gasping for air. Then Luffy looked down at her. She looked up into his face with wide eyes. Both their faces turned a deep red.

Nami pulled back from him slowly and turned around. "I guess…we should get out now…We've been in here a long while…" she said quietly as she stood up and walked back where they first entered. Her lower back and up visible. Luffy followed behind her. As the bath became shallow Luffy lowered his gaze. Nami walked out of the tub and to the showers they had passed on the way in. Luffy sat down in the bath with his back to Nami and waited for her to rinse. Nami walked up to a shower, turned it on, and began to rinse off. She had her head down and watched the water drip from her hair. She was trying to calm her racing heart and her breathing. She had made the water cold to cool herself off. Once she was done, she turned the water off.

Suddenly, a towel appeared next to her. She slightly jumped and turned toward it. Tomo was standing next to her with a smile on her face as she held out a towel for her. "A…arigato…" she said quietly as she took the towel. 'Had she been here this whole time?!' she thought to herself. She dried herself off and then handed Tomo back the towel. She noticed Tomo was holding a second towel. 'Was she going to give that to Luffy?!' she thought to herself. "Uh…I'll take that…" she said as she smiled nervously at her. Tomo smiled, handed her the towel and then walked off. Nami walked back to her robe. She put the towel down on the bench, put her robe on, and then tied the belt. She picked the towel back up. Then she turned and walked a distance past some of the showers. "Alright Luffy, I'm done." she called over her shoulder.

Luffy turned around and saw Nami had her back to him. He stood up and walked out of the bath. He walked to a shower, turned in on and then rinsed off. Nami took a deep breath and looked forward. Then she noticed them, the two women who had massaged them unabashedly watching her _and _Luffy. "Excuse me!" yelled Nami as she felt herself grow angry. She untied and threw open her robe to block their view of Luffy. They had gotten a full frontal view of Luffy. Luffy looked over at Nami in confusion.

Both women yelped and blushed. "S…sumimasen!!" they both yelled as they turned around.

Luffy looked around Nami as he heard the women. "They were still in here?!" he asked.

"So it seems…I wonder why they didn't leave?!" she exclaimed. Nami looked around Tomo was no where in site. "Why are you still here?!" she asked them.

"It…it's our job to stay here. Just in case the customer wants another massage, ma'am…" the older woman responded without turning around.

"Is it your job to stare at the customers?!" yelled Nami in annoyance.

"S…sumimasen!" she exclaimed.

"Matakun…" whispered Nami in exasperation.

Luffy finished rinsing and turned off the water. She let go of one side of her robe and threw the towel over her shoulder. She felt as Luffy grabbed and took it from her. He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. Then he walked over to his robe, removed the towel and then put the robe on. He half heartedly tied the robe and walked back over to Nami. "I'm done." he said from behind her. She closed her robe and tied it and then turned around toward him. His muscled chest was visible and his belt looked lopsided. She smiled, 'Sloppy as always…I wouldn't have him any other way…WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!' she thought to herself as her eyes went huge. Suddenly, the pain came back to her chest. She involuntarily grabbed for it.

Luffy looked at her concerned, "Oi, Nami, are you okay?" he asked softly.

Nami gasped and turned around quickly, "I'm fine!" she said loudly before walking away.

Luffy watched her walk away, a concerned expression on his scarred face. Tomo appeared out of no where. "Would you like a manicure, pedicure, and facial done now?" she asked in her polite tone.

"U…un…" replied Nami quietly as she followed Tomo.

"Oi…Nami, what are those?" asked Luffy from behind as he followed them.

"Just come and you'll find out." she replied without turning toward him.

She smiled at his uncertain question. She was glad he seemed to be back to normal. He was no longer sad. Knowing that kind of made her happy. Tomo turned left and through a door. Inside the room were a few recliner type chairs. She heard Luffy laugh as he took off past her and flew into one of the chairs. She smiled warmly at him as he began to play with it. She sat down in a chair next to him. Two different women from the women who had massaged them came into the room. Nami was just glad it wasn't the two perverted women. They bowed, introduced themselves, and then began their work. Nami leaned back and enjoyed the pampering.

Luffy eyed the woman who was about to put some strange smelling green stuff on his face. "O…oi, what's that?" he asked uncertain.

"It's okay Luffy. Just let her do her job." Nami reassured him without turning toward him.

He continued to eye the stuff suspiciously, but allowed her to proceed. He sat uncomfortably through out the whole process. He watched as they did weird things to his finger and toe nails. Then they put more weird smelling stuff on his feet. Then they did some other weird stuff to his hands and his feet. He looked over at Nami. She was reading a newspaper and looked completely relaxed.

Finally, they were done. The women bowed, said their farewells and left. Tomo came to them again as they were getting out of their chairs. "Perhaps now you would like to redress and enjoy a drink at our bar?" she asked them politely.

"That would be lovely." replied Nami with a big smile. Tomo redirected them into the dressing room. Nami and Luffy walked in as Tomo closed the door behind them. Nami walked to her cupboard and removed her things. She took off her robe and began to redress. She put her blue dress back on as well as the accessories and shoes. She bent down and removed the sheer bottom of the skirt. 'I won't be needing this anymore. I will give it to Tomo to put it in our room.' she thought to herself.

Luffy, having gotten used to Nami not caring to disrobe in front of him, already had his back to her. He removed his robe and began to put his clothes back on, leaving his shirt untucked. He didn't button it all the way up and then put his black vest back on. He brought the tie back around his neck and let it hang loosely. He put his shoes back on, stood up and then tap the toes on the floor. Nami turned at hearing his tapping.

"Ready?" she asked him as she smiled.

"Aa." he replied as they both walked out and followed Tomo to the bar.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1:** Niku means meat.

**2: **Chotto matte translates to "Wait a minute." or "Hold on a minute."

**3: **Sumimasen is the formal and polite way of saying "I'm sorry." or "Excuse me."

**4: **Matakun is an exasperation that means 'Geez!" or a type of sigh or even like saying "Good grief.". You get the idea…O.o

**Author's Note: **I hope you all enjoyed another one of my boring chapters. Yet again this chapter was just to see their interactions with one another and seeing their feelings. If you don't like it, TOUGH!! . Hehe! I really hope you all enjoyed my chapter! XD Please review and tell me how boring it was! Okay, seriously, don't do that…-.-;


	13. Chapter 13: Time Is Running Out!

**Author's Note: **Here is Chapter 13! Time is running out! Oh no! XO LOL! Because I have been working mainly on Phoenix…I have yet to start on chapter 6 of Midnight Lullaby…It may take longer than a week for that one to post. However, rest assured. I will try not to be late again. XD Anyways, I hope you all enjoy my newest chapter! Please review! Flames and criticism are welcome! Enjoy! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 13: Time Is Running Out!**

Tomo guided them back to the lobby and started up the spiral stairs. Once on the second floor, she turned to left. Nami could see the bar. It looked very nice inside and there were a lot of people. Just outside of the bar, Tomo turned toward them. "Please, stay as long as you like. When you are ready to retire for the evening, I will be in the lobby waiting for you." she explained as she bowed to them and left.

Nami turned back to the bar entrance and then walked inside, Luffy following behind her. She approached the bartender behind the counter and sat down on a stool. Luffy walked up behind her and then looked around. His face broke into a grin, "Aha!" he laughed as he took off running.

Nami turned at hearing him, "Oi, Luffy!! Where are you…going?" she started to ask, but he was already gone. "Matakun…" she whispered in exasperation before turning back to the bar.

The bartender smiled as he came closer to the bar, "What can I get for you?" he asked politely.

"I'll take two frozen tropical drinks, please." she ordered quietly.

"Hai." the bartender replied with a nod as he turned to fill the order.

Suddenly, someone sat down next to her. Nami turned towards him, "Oi, Lu…" she started. However, the man sitting next to her was _not_ Luffy. "Can I help you…?" she asked coolly.

"Well, hello there beautiful lady, might I be able to buy you a drink?" he asked with a smile.

Normally, she would have accepted, after all, it was free. However, tonight was different, she wasn't interested. "Thanks, but no thanks." she replied in a cold and uninviting tone.

"Oh come on now, a beautiful girl like you must want _something_?" he persisted.

"Sorry, not interested…also, I'm here with someone." she said in the same tone not looking at him. She had turned back toward the bar so as not to encourage him.

"You mean that little kozou?" he asked amused with a slight chuckle. "He your otouto?" he asked with a smirk. Nami looked towards him with a hard expression. "He did just kind of ditch you here…" he continued. Her face fell in exasperation. 'Yeah…I guess he did…' she thought to herself as a huge sweat bead dropped down the side of her face.

----

Luffy ran out the open French doors to a balcony he had spotted. He walked over to the rail and looked around. The sun had already set but there were still some pinks and oranges in the now purple sky. It was a very nice view. "I should show this to Nami…" he whispered as he turned and walked back inside. He started walking back to her, and then stopped. There was a man sitting next to Nami. He couldn't see Nami's face because she had her back to him, but he could see his, he was smirking. He furrowed his brows in a deep scowl. He continued to walk over to them. As he got closer he heard the words kozou and otouto. His scowl deepened. He stopped a few feet away from them.

Then Nami spoke, "You should probably leave before he comes back. I doubt he would appreciate being called that…" she warned in a cold voice.

"You mean me?" said Luffy in a deathly quiet voice as he stared at the intrusive man.

"Oi, Luffy, there you are. Where did you go anyways?" she asked in a calm voice.

"The balcony…" he replied not removing his eyes from the intrusive man, who was smirking at him in return.

"Oh! There's a balcony?!" she asked, her interest piqued.

"Aa…" replied Luffy quietly.

"Oi…otouto-kun, onee-san and I were talking. Why don't you run a long and play again." the intrusive man remarked in a rude voice.

"O…touto-kun…?" repeated Luffy in a deathly quiet voice as he lowered his gaze, hiding his eyes under his hat.

"Oi…you really shouldn't say things like that to him…You'll just piss him off…" warned Nami half heartedly.

"Aww, did I hurt otouto-kun's feelings? Gomen, otouto-kun." said the intrusive man in a teasing tone as he patted Luffy's hat.

Nami looked at the man with pity, "Oh, I definitely wouldn't have done that…and, by the way…he's not my otouto. We're married…" she said in a bored tone.

Suddenly, Luffy grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, lifted him off the stool and off the floor. "Na…nani?!" exclaimed the man in surprise.

Luffy looked up at the man fury occupied his expression. Luffy placed a hand on his hat, "Don't _ever_ touch my treasure…and if I see you bothering Nami again…I won't hold back…" he said in a deathly low voice.

Nami smiled at Luffy, "Luffy, you're so nice…I thought you were going to pulverize him for sure…" she said with a bit of a laugh.

"I thought about…but figured a warning would be fine…He's not worth the trouble." Luffy replied in a bored tone as he tossed the guy a few feet away. He landed on his behind and stared at Luffy with huge eyes.

"D…did…you say…Lu…Luffy? As in…Monkey D…Luffy?" stuttered the bartender nervously.

"That's right." replied Luffy as he looked over at the bartender with a blank expression.

"Ch…chotto matte, you mean _he_ is _the_ Monkey D. Luffy!!" yelled the intrusive man from the floor.

"I had heard rumors in town that he was here, but…I never thought I would actually get to see him in person…I also didn't realize it was you…I guess the hat should have given that away, huh?" said the bartender as he laughed nervously.

"Aa…I just got it back from one of my Nakama after the festival." replied Luffy as he placed a hand gently on his hat.

"Ah! I was wondering about your attire! Are…are you the winners of the festival?!" exclaimed the bartender.

"Aa…that's right." replied Luffy.

"Sugoi! Omedetou gozaimasu!!" exclaimed the bartender with a smile.

"Arigato!" replied Luffy with a grin.

"Ah, it is you!! That grin with the hat looks just like the wanted poster!" exclaimed the bartender in awe.

Luffy chuckled and scratched his cheek. The intrusive man's eyes bugged. Then he got on his hands and knees with his head on the floor. "Gomen nasai!!" he yelled as sweat beaded down his face. He hadn't realized the man before him was the three hundred million belli kaizoku, Mugiwara no Luffy.

Luffy turned and looked at the man with a blank expression. "Ah…don't worry about it." he replied as he grinned down at the man.

The man quickly looked up at Luffy in surprise. "Arigato!" he exclaimed and then got up and ran off.

"Here, are your drinks." said the bartender as he put two drinks down on the bar. Luffy turned back to the bar and picked his up, Nami doing the same.

"So where's this balcony Luffy?" asked Nami.

"Ah! That's right!" he exclaimed with a grin. "This way!" he said as he grabbed her hand and began to lead her to some open French doors. They stepped outside into the warm air. "I thought the view was great, and I wanted to show it to you!" he exclaimed with his grin. He walked up to the rail and leaned down on it with his arms. He let one of his arms hang off the side and brought the drink to his lips and took a sip with his other. "Oh, this is delicious!" he exclaimed and took another drink.

Nami smiled and walked up next to him. She leaned a hip against the rail facing him and then turned her head to the view. She brought the drink to her lips and also took a sip. "Mmm, it really is." she replied. The view was beautiful. There were still a few oranges and pinks in the sky from the sunset. However, they were disappearing fast, the stars and moon already shown brightly in the sky. There was a pond down below that had yet another fountain in the middle of it. The water sprayed out reflecting the moon's light. They looked like silver sparkles. The moon and stars also reflected off the ponds surface. There were some lights from below illuminating the ground just below them. There was the sound of faint laughter and talking behind them and of flowing water in front. It was very relaxing.

"This isn't too bad…for a honeymoon…" replied Nami quietly and without thinking.

Luffy made a throaty noise, but didn't turn to look at her. Nami looked over at him quickly. His smile was gone and his brows had furrowed. "Nami...I'm sorry you got stuck with me…I'm sure you would have preferred…someone else…someone like…Sanji…Gomen…" he said quietly.

Nami was looking at him with wide eyes and slightly parted lips in shock. Then she finally recovered. "N…no, Luffy! That's not true! I most definitely would not have preferred Sanji!" she exclaimed. Luffy looked up at her. He looked a little sad. 'Baka! That came out all wrong! He probably thinks, 'Sure she doesn't prefer Sanji, so then maybe someone else! As long as it isn't me!' she yelled at herself in her mind.

Nami looked back toward the view, "Gomen…that's not…what I meant…I don't really trust Sanji in that way…I'm actually glad it wasn't him…I mean not that Sanji isn't my Nakama or anything…I just…Luffy, if I was given the chance to choose who I would have preferred…" she started but hesitated.

Luffy looked back to the view. He wasn't sure he wanted to know who she would have preferred. Nami turned to Luffy who had his sad gaze at the view in front of him. She smiled warmly at him. She slowly reached out her free hand to the opposite side of his face and turned him to face her. Luffy made a throaty noise at her soft touch as she turned him to her. He looked at her with wide eyes and slightly parted lips in surprise. "Luffy…if I had to choose…it would have been you. I would have preferred you. I'm glad it _was_ you. I trust you, Luffy…I trust you with everything that I am…You have done so much for me…Arigato…Luffy…" she said softly with a warm smile and her hand still on his face. Luffy stared up at his Navigator as he remained leaning on the rail. His heart was pounding. She would have preferred him anyways.

The hole in his chest was beginning to fill further. _Time was running out…_Luffy felt himself grow warmer. She had spoken so softly. Her smile faded as she looked him in the eyes and then her eyes hooded. Luffy felt his eyes hood as well. It was as if her eyes called to him. He felt his body lean forward on its own. He couldn't stop himself…He didn't want to. She also began to lean forward toward him. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. She was getting closer…Her lips were so close to his. He could feel her sweet breath on his lips.

Suddenly, there was a crashing sound from down below. Both Luffy and Nami snapped out of their trance and quickly looked below. They both saw a woman down below. She ran a ways out, and then looked up directly at them. Both Luffy and Nami made throaty noises in surprise. She looked like she was about to say something.

"Oi!! Get back here!!" yelled a man running toward her as another man followed him.

The woman quickly looked toward the men, and then gave Luffy and Nami one last frowned glance before running off.

Luffy leaned over the rail, "OI!! Why are you chasing that woman?!" he yelled.

The man trailing behind the other stopped and turned toward him. "There's nothing to worry about, sir! She tried to steal some keys is all! Don't worry! We'll catch her! Please continue enjoying your evening!" he called as he turned and ran off after them.

Luffy's brows furrowed as they disappeared from sight.

"What was that all about?" asked Nami quietly.

Luffy turned toward her. She turned toward him with furrowed brows of confusion. Then she remembered what they had almost done. Her face turned a solid red. "I…uh…I…I think I'm going to go get another drink…" she said quickly before turning and going back inside. Luffy watched her go and then turned back to where the three had disappeared. His brows furrowed deeper before he turned and followed her inside.

----

The mysterious woman ducked around a corner. After awhile, the two men who were chasing her ran by. 'I had finally found them, but then I had to go and run into that planter, giving away my position…' the woman thought to herself. She made a noise of frustration. 'I failed…I can't possibly go back to the hotel now…' she thought. "Why did I have to get caught…?" she whispered to herself before pushing away from the wall and running in the opposite direction from the men from the hotel.

----

The crew had made their way back to the ship. Zoro was sitting on deck leaning against the rail with his eyes closed. Sanji was in the kitchen making dinner. Usopp, Franky, Chopper, and Robin were all huddled around the small table outside, which Nami and Robin usually shared. They were reading every book Robin had collected for the island. They had also bought some more on the history of the island on their way back to the ship.

Usopp slammed the one he was currently reading shut. "There has to be something!" he exclaimed in frustration.

The sun was already beginning to set in the horizon. "We're losing light…maybe we should head inside." said Franky as he looked towards the setting sun.

Just then, Sanji emerged from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready…" he called quietly before going back inside.

Everyone got up and slowly headed to the kitchen. They all sat and ate in silence, fully aware of the two empty seats. "You think…they're doing alright?" asked Chopper quietly. He had a concerned expression on his little face.

"I'm sure they're fine…" replied Usopp. "We just…have to hurry…" he continued.

"Aa…" the all replied. Robin only looked on with a serious expression.

After dinner, everyone moved the books inside the dining area to continue trying to find information. Zoro sat on the couch and closed his eyes. Everyone else skimmed through the books looking for anything to help Luffy and Nami. Robin sighed and quietly set the book she just finished down. "There really isn't much written on this deity…I'm beginning to wonder if there really is one…" she said quietly.

"Why would that announcer bastard lie…Maybe there's a reason there isn't any information. This deity is probably trying to keep itself a secret." replied Zoro.

"Ee…That's what I concluded with. I don't think we will find the answer in any of these books." she replied with a slight frown.

Usopp glanced at the time. "It's pretty late already…We've been at this for hours…You don't think it's…too late…Do you?" he asked concerned.

"Of course not! Luffy will delay it as long as possible! That announcer bastard said we had until sunrise! That's still a few hours away! Nami-san is counting on us!" exploded Sanji.

Everyone turned to him with furrowed brows of concern. Zoro closed his eyes. Sanji made a throaty noise at his outburst and looked down. He sighed, "Gomen…" he apologized quietly.

"No…it's alright…" replied Usopp.

"It seems what we need is a miracle…" remarked Franky.

"S…sumima…sen…"

Everyone quickly looked up toward the exit. "What the hell…?" whispered Zoro as everyone got up and headed outside. Everyone looked down to see a man looking around the ship in awe.

"Sugoi…" they heard him whisper.

Zoro raised a brow at the man. "Can we help you?" he asked.

The man jumped and turned quickly towards them. "Sumimasen! I…I don't mean to intrude! I…I need to speak with you…" he exclaimed as he bowed to them.

"Alright, speak…" replied Zoro.

"Oi! There's no need to be rude, Baka Marimo!" retorted Sanji as he glared at the Swordsmen.

"Nan da tou?!" yelled Zoro.

"Please, would you like some coffee? What ever you have to say must be important. Come inside." said Sanji politely to the man.

Zoro mumbled something under his breath. "You say something, Carrot Top?!" yelled Sanji.

"It wasn't anything important sissy Dartboard!!" retorted Zoro.

"Nan da tou?!" yelled Sanji as he stomped over to Zoro and brought his face close to the angry Swordsmen's with a deep scowl and clenched teeth.

"You heard me Baka Love-cook!!" yelled Zoro in Sanji's face. Suddenly, two arms sprouted from each of their heads and slammed their heads into one another.

They both cried out in pain and grabbed at their bruised foreheads. Sanji looked over at Robin with a betrayed expression on his face. "Robin-chwan, why?" he asked with flowing tears.

"Because, Navigator-san isn't here to do it…" she replied with a gentle smile. "This way, please." she said politely to the nervous looking man.

"Che!" exclaimed Zoro in annoyance as he rubbed his bruised head. He and Sanji followed everyone inside.

Sanji served the man and Robin some coffee before sitting down with everyone else. "Arigato." thanked the man as Sanji set his cup down.

When Sanji was seated Robin spoke. "So, Mr…" she started.

"Ah, sumimasen!! I am Jiro…Abe Jiro…" he replied bowing his head.

"Abe-san…What is it you needed to speak to us about?" asked Robin politely.

"Please, you can call me Jiro." he replied with a smile. Robin nodded. "I had heard you are Nakama to the two who won the contest." he said.

"Ee, that's right." confirmed Robin.

"Well, I have some information on this ritual that I think you should know about…" he said.

Everyone made throaty noises at his words. "Are you serious?!" blurted Sanji.

"What do you mean?" asked Usopp.

"Perhaps, you should tell us everything you know…" said Robin as she smiled at the man and tilted her head to the side.

----

"This is outrageous!!" yelled Sanji. "We have to do something!" he continued in his rant.

"Calm down, Love-cook, I agree but there's no sense in losing your head." replied Zoro as he glared at Sanji. "We have to find them first." he continued.

"That's if we aren't too late…" remarked Usopp.

"Of course we aren't!!" barked Sanji.

"My wife should be searching for them as we speak." said Jiro.

"You're wife…?" asked Robin.

"Aa…she should be at the hotel now." he replied. "I hope she was successful…" he continued.

Suddenly, Zoro grabbed for his sword and stood up and turned to the exit. "Z…Zoro…?" questioned Usopp nervously.

"Looks like we've got more company…" said Sanji quietly as he eyed the door.

"Really?! Are…are you sure?!" asked Usopp as he began to shake.

"Aa…sounds like multiple people…" replied Sanji.

"Aa…and I don't think they are friendly either." remarked Zoro.

Everyone stood up and walked quietly to the door. Usopp was shakily hiding behind Franky. Zoro opened the door and shoved it open. He and Sanji walked out first. There were about twenty men on Sunny's grassy deck. "They are going to slow us down…" remarked Zoro.

"I had a feeling they would follow me. They would do anything to prevent us from stopping the ritual." said Jiro.

"Well, let's get started. Looks like we've got a long night ahead of us…" remarked Zoro as he placed Wadō Ichimonji in his mouth as he pulled out his other two swords in preparation for a fight.

----

Luffy and Nami were sitting at a bar table. Both had drunk a considerable amount. Luffy had also gotten hungry again, so they had order some more food. After Nami had gotten over her embarrassment, they had talked the whole time, about the crew, past events, and situations. Anything to keep their minds off of what was to come. Nami glanced at a clock on the bar wall. It was 2:45 a.m. She frowned. Luffy looked up at her and then at the clock. He also frowned. "I guess…it's time. It's getting pretty late." she said nervously and quietly.

Luffy furrowed his brows and then looked down. "Aa…" he replied quietly.

They both got up from their table and headed downstairs. Tomo was sitting behind the receptionists desk with two other people. She looked up at hearing them approach and smiled. "Ah, are you ready to retire for the evening?" she asked in her polite voice.

"Un…" replied Nami with a nervous smile and a nod. Tomo stood up and walked over to a cabinet. She unlocked it, removed two keys, and then closed and locked it.

Smile still on her face she turned and walked around the desk toward them. "This way, please." she said as she continued on up the stairs, Luffy and Nami following. She lead them up to the sixth floor. She walked a little ways down a hall way before stopping at a door. She used one of the keys and unlocked the door. She opened it and walked in. Luffy and Nami slowly followed her inside.

It was a large and beautiful suite. The room they were in had two couches facing each other. There were a cream color with olive green pillows. The rug on the floor was also a cream color. There was a pair of glass french doors to the outside.Tomo walked to the right. "There is a small kitchen here with a refrigderator. It already has drinks inside. Also a stove and a sink." she explained as she pointed to each item.

Then she walked out, past in front of them toward some french doors. She opened them and walked inside. Luffy and Nami hesitantly followed her. It was the suite's bedroom. There was a large bed in the middle of the room. There was also more french doors to the outside. The bedroom was a lavendar color with some maroon. "This is the bedroom, and over here is the bathroom." she explained as she walked up to another door. She opened it and stepped inside. Luffy and Nami approached it but didn't enter. It had a large tub and separate shower. There was a small separate room for the toilet. "It has a large tub that fits two and a separate shower. There is also a room here for the toilet. There are complimentary robes, toothbrush toothpaste, and soap." she explained and then she came up to the door. Nami was still wearing a blush from her 'That fits two' comment.

Both Luffy and Nami moved away from the door and Tomo stepped out. She walked back into the first room of the suite. "There is a den-den mushi here. If you need anything just ask room service. Everything is paid for since you are the winners of the festival. So don't hestitate to ask for anything." she continued. She set both keys down on the table with the den-den mushi next to one of the couches. She turned and walked toward the door to leave. She stopped and turned back around and just stared at them for awhile. Nami and Luffy stared back at her questioningly.

Suddenly, she bowed quickly. "Arigato gozaimasu! I…I heard when you were talking to Mogu. I know your marriage was an accident. Yet…you would do this for our island! I…I don't think I would have that kind of courage! Arigato gozaimasu!!" she said quickly. She stood up straight, turned, and walked out the door, shutting it behind her. Both Luffy and Nami stared at the closed door with wide eyes. Nami snapped out of it as she realized their situation. They were in the hotel room…alone. She felt herself becoming nervous…very nervous. Then she heard movement beside her. She quickly turned to see Luffy walking away from her and to the french doors. He opened them and walked outside and leaned against the rail.

Nami stared at his back in confusion. 'I guess he's just as nervous…' she thought to herself. She turned toward the bedroom and at the bathroom beyond. 'I might as well make use of such a nice bathroom.' she thought to herself as she turned back to Luffy. "Luffy." she called him. He perked up slightly and stiffened, but didin't turn. "I…I'm going to take a bath…" she said quietly. He only nodded and didn't turn. She made her way to the bathroom and closed the door. She leaned against it for awhile. Her heart was pounding. She moved away from the door and walked to the tub. She turned on the water and set the tempurature. She began to disrobe as the tub filled and folding her clothes neatly on the counter.

Luffy gripped the rail tightly. He looked down below. There was nothing. "I can't do this…" he whispered to himself. He could hear the water being turned on from out where he was. He gripped the rail tighter. "Why won't she let me fight? Why does she feel she has to do this alone?...Well…not really alone…" he said as he grabbed at his head in frustration. He knew he would help her no matter what she asked of him. She was one of his precious Nakama. "But why does she want to do this? She should know I would win no matter what…" he contiuned to whisper to himself. He understood how lucky they had gotten with Enel, but he has gotten stronger. He could win. However, she didn't want him or any of the crew to fight. He had seen the fear in her eyes when she had pleaded for him not to fight. What was she afraid of? "I don't understand…" he whispered as he stared down below. He heard the water being turned off and the sound of sloshing water.

He was glad she had decided to bathe. He wanted to delay this as long as possible. "Where are they…?" he whispered as he looked down below. He began to wonder if they had given up. Then he shook his head violently. "The crew would never give up!" he exclaimed to himself. "I hope they caught on when I asked how long we had until…" he contiuned to look down below hoping to see his Nakama. He frowned. Still nothing. He knew she didn't want this. Her tears had proven that. She had called it suffering. "Was she suffering…?" he whispered before sighing at the nothingness below.

Nami sat in the bubbly hot water. She was so nervous she was slightly shaking. "What am I doing?!" she asked herself out loud. 'I can't believe this is happening…Are we really married?' she thought to herself. Then her thoughts turned to Luffy. He had seemed different tonight. He had seemed more reserved…less spontaneous…less happy. There was only recently she had seen him like that, and that was back on Water 7. He had been sad and depressed about his duel with Usopp. She remembered his tears. His tears had almost torn her apart.

She slid further down into the tub. She couldn't help but feel glad it was Luffy she had gotten into this mess with. She couldn't imagine if it had been someone else in the crew. She involuntarily shivered. She was _really_ glad. She trusted Luffy. She trusted him with everything that she was. She was only sorry that she had broughten him down with her. He hadn't wanted this…she was sure. His different attitude came to her mind. 'Was he disappointed in her? Would he still rather fight than be with her…then have to…with her?' she thought to herself.

After about twenty minutes she finished her bath and stepped out. She dried her self off and put on a robe. 'No point in redressing…' she thought to herself. As she did her stomach performed a flip-flop. She felt sick. She brought a hand to her mouth and raced the the toilet. Again in just a few days apart from each other, she had lost herself. Once she was sure she was done. She walked over to the sink and brushed her teeth. 'Thank goodness for the hotel's thoughfulness and generosity…' she thought to herself. When she was done she stared at her reflection in the mirror. "This is it…" she whispered to herself before leaving the bathroom. She walked through the bedroom noticing Luffy wasn't there. She walked out into the main room and looked toward the balcony. Luffy was still there.

She quietly walked toward the doors. She stopped just a few feet away from them. 'I wonder what he's thinking about?' she thought to herself as she continued to watch him. She noticed he had a tight grip on the rail. She watched him for awhile before sighing quietly to herself. "Luffy…" she called quietly. He immediately perked up and turned toward her. Then he furrowed his brows. He looked down one last time before sighing and going back inside closing the doors behind him. Just as he did the crew ran into the court yard below.

"We have to find them!!" yelled Zoro.

"I can try sniffing them out!" suggested Chopper.

"I'll come too!" said Sanji as he looked at Chopper. Chopper nodded.

Suddenly, more men came running out of the hotel. "Don't let them disrupt the ritual!!" one of them yelled as they began to run towards them.

"GO!" yelled Zoro to Chopper and Sanji. They both nodded and made a run for it.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **Matakun means "Geez" or a type of sigh in exasperation. Nami uses this expression quite a bit in the series.

**2: **"Thanks, but no thanks." This would have sounded bad in Japanese. So I kept it in English.

**3: **Kozou means kid or boy. In this case, I mean kid.

**4: **Otouto means little or younger brother. In this case, I mean little brother.

**5: **French doors…Yeah I know…There are no French in One Piece. However, that's the name of the doors I'm describing. So just bear with me, ne? (Yet…again…)

**6: **Onee means big or older sister. In this case I mean big sister.

**7: **Sugoi means "Awesome", Cool", "Great", "Wow", etc. You get the point.

**8: **Omedetou gozaimasu translates to "Congratulations".

**9: **Kaizoku means pirates.

**10: **Mugiwara no Luffy just means Straw-hat Luffy.

**11: **Jiro: Yes this name is used in the current filler. No, I did not take it from there. I had actually had this name since before the filler. Phoenix was mine first too…--;

**Author's Note: **It seems like a lot of translations, but it actually isn't…I just had some explanations this time…XPI hope you all enjoy my newest chapter! Please don't hesitate to ask me questions! Also please review! XD

**To Seishin: **I really appreciated your review! I do indeed believe that Luffy is more intelligent then he may seem normally. He has proven that many times over. For those who truly believe he is stupid are not paying attention to the series. We have a forum that we get together and talk about One Piece and about LuNa Luffy and Nami all the time. The forum is Moonlight in the Welcome thread. Anyone else who would like to just chit chat about OP and LuNa are also welcome to join us there! XD However, we do have rules…For instance, no bashing of characters or other pairings. (Criticism is acceptable, but that involves explaining why, say, Luffy/Vivi would be bad as opposed to simply stating as much.)

**To Readers: **Don't get me wrong! I appreciate each and every one of your reviews! It's just I couldn't reply to Seishin! XD So, I'm doing it here. So keep them coming! They mean a lot to me! Even if you think you don't have a right to review, think again! When I first came to this site I felt that way. 'Oh I'm a nobody. They won't like for me to review!' NOT TRUE! XD I would love to read each and every one of my readers reviews! So review me!! XD There is also a thread for readers who might have a story idea, but feel that they can't write it. The majority of our forum is LuNa authors. We don't mind hearing(reading) your ideas:D


	14. Chapter 14: Nami's Confession

**Author's Note: **Why? BECAUSE I CAN!!! XD Actually, I'm almost done with this story. I'm working on the last chapter as we speak…So I decided to go ahead and submit another today. Also because I just couldn't help mnyself…XP All will be revealed! XD I'm really glad you all have stuck with me this far! I'm also glad you all enjoy my story! XD Please review each of my chapters not just this last one. I want to know what you think for each of my chapters! XD Criticism and flames are welcome! I actually use those to my advantage! Enjoy!! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 14: Nami's Confession!...But Is It Real?**

Luffy slowly walked inside. He made his way to one of the couches and plopped down hard. He leaned his elbows on his knees and leaned forward allowing his hands to hang down between his legs. His hat was concealing his eyes. Nami furrowed her eyes in a slight frown. He couldn't allow this to happen. He had to protect her. "Nami…you don't have to do this…" he said quietly. Nami furrowed her brows deeper. She walked over to him and sat down next to him. She could feel his body tense up, her lips quirked up in a slight smile. "Why won't you let me fight?" he asked.

Nami looked at him in surprise. Then she looked away and frowned. "I already told you why…" she replied quietly.

"I can't do this Nami…" he whispered.

Nami looked over at him in surprise. 'He…doesn't want me?' she thought as she frowned. "Why not?" she asked before she could think about what she was saying.

"I want to fight…" he said.

Nami's eyes went wide. 'He would rather fight…He would rather die…' she thought as her frown deepened. She felt her heart sink. Luffy lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. "You don't have to do this. No one is forcing you. I know this isn't what you want…I don't want you to suffer…and…I don't want to be the cause of your suffering…You're my Nakama…Nami. I want to fight…I want to protect you. I've gotten stronger. I can win!" he exclaimed.

Nami looked at Luffy with large eyes. Tears slowly began to descend down her cheeks. Luffy made a throaty noise at her tears. 'I know now…' she thought to herself. The hole in her chest had completely been filled by his words. She now understood what she had been feeling…She loved him…her Nakama…her Captain…her Husband. She slowly lifted both of her arms. "You're wrong…" she whispered as she placed her hands on each side of his face. Luffy made another surprised noise as his eyes grew wider. "I won't suffer…Luffy. No one has to be hurt this way…No one has to die…" she whispered as she slid her hands further cupping his face. Her fingers slid a little past his ears and into his hair. "I was wrong when I said what I did after the festival…" she continued to whisper.

Luffy furrowed his brows slightly at her words. Then she smiled. She pulled his face down to hers and placed her lips on his. Luffy's eyes went wide as he made a noise in the back of his throat in surprise. She pulled away from him and looked up into his face. Luffy stared down at her in confusion. She said she won't suffer, but yet she had been crying. "Nami…?" he questioned in his confusion.

She smiled again and then she removed her hands from his face. He watched as she brought them to her shoulders and then pulled the top half of her robe down, exposing her breasts to his view. Luffy pulled back and made a noise of disbelief at what she did. Then he blushed and turned away. He felt her softly cup his check with her hand and pull him back to face her. "Don't…" she whispered as she looked him in the eyes. He refused to break eye contact.

----

"We're getting closer! Their scent is getting stronger! I think it's just two more floors!" yelled Chopper as he continued to sniff the ground.

"Then they must be on the last floor! Yosh! Let's go!" replied Sanji as they continued up the stairs.

----

"Nami…please…" pleaded Luffy. She only smiled up at him. He made a surprised face. She pulled him down once again bringing his lips down to hers. Sweat beaded down his face as he stared down into her face. He was beginning to worry. Was there really nothing else he could do? He had tried talking to her and it didn't work. He felt as his will began to slip. This was a new feeling for him. His eyes became wider as he placed his hands on her bare shoulders and pushed her away.

"Luffy…?" she questioned as she looked at him in confusion.

"I can't…Nami…We can't…" he pleaded in a quiet voice. He heard the quiver in his voice. He clenched his teeth down hard.

Nami's expression turned to anger. "Why do you resist me?!" she almost yelled. Luffy looked at her in surprise. "Why do you want to fight? You don't have to protect me all the time! Why can't I protect you for once?!" she yelled at him. She felt tears once again sting her eyes. Luffy was taken aback by the force and passion in her outburst. "Or is it…that you don't want me…" she whispered as tears formed in her eyes.

"No! Of course not! Matte, that's not what I….meant…" he had started loudly and had gotten quieter as he continued to speak. He gripped her shoulders tighter. "You're important to me…Nami. I just can't let this happen…not to you…I want to help…but not like this…" he said softly.

'He really does care about me…I'm…important to him…' she thought to herself as she stared at his face. The fact that she was bare from the waist up didn't seem to bother her. She looked him in the eyes, and then smiled. Not just any smile, a smile so warm and full of all the love she felt for him. Luffy's eyes slowly widened as his lips slightly parted. Her smile made him feel warmer than any of her other smiles. He felt his face begin to relax as he looked down into her eyes. He never thought he would see her more beautiful, than she was at this moment. He could feel the whole being filled even further.

"Luffy…it's alright now. I do want this, because…Luffy…I…I love you…" she said softly as she smiled up at him. His eyes went huge again at her words. He had never expected for those words to ever come out of her mouth.

His face relaxed once again as he looked her in her eyes. "Nam, I…" he started to say.

Nami interrupted him by placing a fingertip to his lips. "It's okay, you don't have to…" she whispered. She removed her finger and leaned into him and kissed him again. This time he kissed her back clutching her shoulders tighter and bringing her closer to him. The hole had been completely filled. Nami wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer, pressing her chest to his.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Luffy's eyes flew open as he pushed Nami away and looked toward the door. Nami looked up at him in confusion and then turned to the door. "Who could that be?" she asked breathlessly. There was another furious knock at the door. Nami furrowed her brows. Luffy looked back down at Nami's state and blushed. He slid his hands down her arms and brought her robe back over her. Nami quickly turned and looked at him. "Luffy?" she questioned. Luffy got up from the couch and walked toward the door. Nami watched him.

Luffy reached down for the door knob and slowly opened the door just enough to see who it was. He came face to face with Sanji. "Sanji?" he questioned quietly.

Nami frowned. "Sanji?!" she exclaimed. Forgetting her state of dress she immediately stood up and stomped over to the door. She grabbed the door from Luffy and flung it open. Luffy looked over at her in surprise. "Sanji, what are you doing here?!" she demanded loudly. Luffy looked back at Sanji.

"It's not what you think Nami-san!" he exclaimed putting his hands up.

"Like hell it isn't! You had better have a really good excuse!!" she yelled at him.

"We do!"

Nami and Luffy made a surprised noise as they both looked down and to the left. Chopper was hiding in his usual back words manner with a hold on Sanji's leg. "Back wards…" both Luffy and Nami said quietly and simultaneously.

"Ah!" he yelled and changed positions. Sanji was staring at Nami. Her robe was slightly parted down the middle from cleavage to belly button. 'Had they been about to…' he didn't finish his thought. He continued to stare at Nami. He knew he should turn away, but he just didn't have the will.

"Chopper, what are you guys doing here?" asked Nami.

"We…we came to tell you…what we found out." he replied nervously.

"Found out?" she asked in confusion.

"Aa…a man came to us on the ship and told us everything…" he replied still hiding behind Sanji.

"Chopper…why are you hiding?" she finally asked.

"Y…you're scary when you're angry…" he replied nervously.

"Ah, gomen…" apologized Nami. Chopper stepped out from behind Sanji. "So what did this man say?" she asked.

"Ah, that's right!" exclaimed Chopper no longer afraid. "He told us about the festival!" he continued.

"What about the festival?" asked Luffy as he furrowed his brows.

"He said that we were tricked! He said that the festival was some kind of trap!" he exclaimed.

"Nani?!" both Luffy and Nami exclaimed.

"He told us about the deity. It uses the festival as a means to feed!" he explained.

"F…feed?" asked Nami unsure. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the rest.

"Aa, that's right! The deity feeds off of certain…energies and auras. Basically…the kind emitted during the…co…consummation…" he explained. He had stuttered over the word consummation and had blushed. "It feeds off of the purest and most untainted of energies. We all had to admit…you don't get any more pure and untainted than Luffy…" he continued as he looked up at Luffy. Nami also looked over at Luffy.

Luffy's brows were furrowed. "So that's why you came…It's actually my fault…" replied Luffy as he looked from Chopper to Nami.

"No, Luffy!! It's not your fault! Your purity is not to blame…Besides, I had decided to do this before the deity found out about you." exclaimed Nami.

"Nami's right Luffy, it's not your fault. It's no one's fault." said Chopper as he looked at Nami. "We were tricked. It's no one's fault." he continued.

Luffy looked over at Nami. Then he noticed Sanji's silence and looked over at him. He was staring at Nami. He furrowed his brows as he looked back over at Nami. Then his eyes grew large. Her robe was slightly parted down the middle. Most of her cleavage and stomach were exposed. Luffy frowned as he placed himself between Sanji and Nami, facing towards Nami. Nami looked up at Luffy in surprise. "Luffy!" she exclaimed in her surprise. She looked into his eyes. He was frowning down at her.

"Nami, maybe you should go change…" he spoke in a low voice.

Nami furrowed her brows as she looked up at him in confusion. "Na…nani?" she questioned. Luffy's eyes trailed down her body and then he looked back up at her face. Nami furrowed her brows deeper and then followed his gaze. "KYAA!" she screamed as she grabbed her robe and pulled it shut.

She had been distracted by who was at the door and then by Chopper's explanations. She had completely forgotten about her state of dress and what she and Luffy had been about to do. She felt herself blush as she looked behind Luffy. 'Had Sanji-kun been looking at me?' she thought to herself. He had his head turned away and his hair shadowing his eyes. She looked back up at Luffy. He was still frowning. Then he nodded to her. She nodded in return and turned and walked into the bedroom. She went into the bathroom and hurriedly changed her clothes. She left the door slightly open so she could hear what was said.

Luffy had watched Nami walk into the bedroom. When she disappeared from sight, he slowly turned his upper body toward Sanji, a look of fury on his face. Sanji made a throaty noise in surprise at Luffy's expression. Then he turned away again. "Gomen…I didn't…mean to…" he apologized quietly.

Luffy's face immediately relaxed. Chopper was once again hiding. "No…gomen…" replied Luffy quietly. Sanji made another throaty noise as he turned back to Luffy with a look of surprise. Luffy turned completely around and faced them both. Chopper came out from his hiding place and stared up at Luffy in surprise.

"Did he say anything else?" asked Luffy quietly.

"A…aa…he said it has tricked others as well. Many come to this island, some who do know about the festival being a wedding ceremony and some who don't. However, after the ritual is completed, the deity some how makes them not want to leave and continues to feed off of their energies." he explained.

Nami finally came out of the room dressed in her blue dress from the festival. "Chotto matte, so after the co…consummation…it makes them believe they want to stay?! So then they aren't allowed to ever leave?!" she asked loudly. She had also had trouble with the word 'consummation'.

Luffy looked toward Nami with furrowed brows at her question. "Aa, he said there are many trapped here! They don't even realize it!" explained Chopper. Luffy looked back down at Chopper and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, that's not all! He also told us that sometimes a drug is used!" he exclaimed with a bit of a smile.

"A…a drug?" asked Both Luffy and Nami uncertain.

"That's right! It's been nicknamed 'Temptress' because it has a stronger affect on the female." he started to explain. Nami was staring at Chopper with wide eyes. 'A drug…' she thought to herself. "The drug is administered to the unwilling pair by mouth. It causes the pair to experience stronger feelings. Any emotion they feel for each other is amplified. He said any emotion, as long as it has something to do with the other, jealousy, anger, sadness, anxiety…love…It also causes certain emotions to develop if there wasn't some already. It also causes the male to be drawn to the female. It's kind of like a love potion so you see, you guys started acting weird just after the banquet. We think you guys might have been drugged! So none of it's real! Isn't that great! I know you might have been worried about this whole thing Nami, but its okay because it's not real! The drug should wear off in another day or so!" he explained.

Both Luffy and Nami were staring down at Chopper with wide eyes in disbelief and mouths slightly parted. Chopper's smile faded as he looked at Nami. She looked like she was in shock. "It…wasn't real…" she whispered.

"Aa, that's right!" replied Chopper as he smiled again. Luffy immediately looked over at Nami. "Aren't you glad?! It's a good thing you guys didn't get too far as far as feelings go. So you should both recover just fine!" he exclaimed happily as he grinned at Nami.

Luffy's eyes furrowed at Nami's expression. It wasn't real. Then everyone made throaty noises in surprise as tears slowly glided down Nami's face. "It wasn't real…" she whispered again. Luffy's face turned into a concerned expression.

"Aa, that's right! Aren't you glad!" exclaimed Chopper happily. He mistook Nami's tears for happy ones.

However, Luffy knew better. He immediately went to her placing his hands on her shoulders. "Nami, don't cry! None of that stuff matters!" he exclaimed with a concerned expression. She slowly looked up into his eyes as the tears continued to flow freely. Chopper and Sanji looked at them in surprise and confusion. She only stared into his eyes not saying anything. Luffy gave her a small shake. "Nami, you're still important to me! None of that stuff matters! You're still my Nakama. I will still care about you! Whether it's real or not….it doesn't matter!" he continued.

'Then why does it hurt so much?' she thought to herself as more tears flowed down her face and her face began to contort in her pain. "It wasn't real…" she repeated louder.

Luffy's expression turned pained at the sorrow in her voice. Then he pulled Nami into his arms in a tight embrace. Both Sanji and Chopper made throaty noises in surprise as they stared wide eyed at the two. They couldn't believe the display of affection Luffy was showing and at Nami's obvious aguish at hearing that none of it was real. 'What is Luffy talking about?' they both wondered.

'It wasn't real…right? I thought Nami would be happy…Why is she taking this so hard? I don't understand…' thought Chopper as he stared at the two with a concerned expression.

'What happened after the festival? I don't understand…' thought Sanji as he stared at the two in surprise.

Nami continued to quietly cry into Luffy's chest, "Nami…please don't cry…" whispered Luffy softly. Her tears continued. He clenched his teeth down hard in anger as his face turned into a scowl. He closed his eyes as he leaned his head against hers. "Nami…no matter what happens, when this drug wears off or whatever, just remember, you are always going to be my precious Nakama. It doesn't matter if right now is real or not." he said softly as he slid his arms up to her shoulders and gently pulled her away from him. She kept her head lowered. He brought up a hand and gently cupped her chin, gently lifting her to face him. She looked up into his eyes through her tears. "Everything will be alright…This deity is going to pay for making you cry. I will make sure of it." he said vehemently.

As she looked up into his eyes, he brought the hand he was using to cup her chin and gently began to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry anymore, okay?" he said softly and then he smiled down at her. It was a smile so gentle, it made her knees weak. She smiled in return and nodded. Chopper and Sanji's jaws had dropped at Luffy's words and actions. They had never seen this side of Luffy before. 'What the hell is going on? That must have been some drug!' thought Sanji as he stared at them.

Suddenly, Luffy turned toward them with a hard expression on his face. "Where are the others?" he asked in a low tone.

"D…downstairs…" stuttered Chopper.

"Let's go!" exclaimed Luffy as he grabbed Nami's hand and began to lead her out the door, walking past them. They stood for awhile gaping at the open doorway in astonishment, before following them out.

They quickly made their way down the six flights of stairs. "This way!" yelled Sanji as they reached the bottom. Sanji directed them to the others. There were bodies of unconscious enemies everywhere.

Zoro was sitting on the grass leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. Everyone else was standing around. They all turned at hearing them approach. "Luffy!" yelled Usopp grinning.

"I see you guys were successful at finding them." said Franky as he smiled.

"Aa…" replied Sanji quietly.

Everyone looked over at Luffy and Nami. Then they noticed their hands. They were holding hands. Luffy released her hand and approached Zoro. Zoro got up from his place as Luffy approached him. "I'm guessing we weren't too late?" he said as he dusted himself off.

"No…what took you guys so long!" exclaimed Luffy. Nami made a surprised noise. Luffy made a noise realizing what he just said. He quickly turned and looked at her. "I…it's not what you think!!...I mean…well…actually it kinda is, but…Nami I knew you were upset about this whole thing! So I asked that announcer-ossan how long we had until to find out if there was something different we could do! He said we had until sunrise. I knew the others would catch on. I also wanted time to see if I could just…convince…you…" he slowed his explanation at Nami's expression as his face drooped. She had only been staring at him in surprise, but then toward the end her expression had turned sad and then she had looked away from him. She looked betrayed. "Nami…gomen…" apologized Luffy quietly as he looked down.

"So you had never planned on letting me protect you…" she whispered. Luffy looked up at her quickly. Then his face fell.

"Sumimasen…Are you Luffy-san?" asked Jiro.

Luffy slowly turned to the man. Everyone had sweat beads on the sides of their faces at what had just happened. 'What the hell was that just now?' thought Zoro as he looked from Luffy to Nami.

"Aa…Who are you?" asked Luffy. He glanced at Nami sadly one last time before walking over to Jiro.

"Oh, of course, sumimasen, my name is Abe Jiro." he replied as he bowed to Luffy.

"Jiro…Nice to meet you." said Luffy as he reached him. "So you must be the guy who told my Nakama the truth." he continued.

"A…aa, that's right. I've heard about you…about some of your adventures…Are you really as strong as they say?" asked Jiro.

"Aa…" replied Luffy.

"Do you think you can win against this deity?" asked Jiro.

"Aa…I can win." replied Luffy confidently.

"I…I hope so…It would be great…if you could…" said Jiro slightly nervous as he looked down. Robin and Chopper approached Jiro and began asking him questions.

"So…you're really going to fight…?"

Luffy slowly turned and walked up to Nami. "Aa…I'm going to fight." he replied. Everyone looked over at Luffy wondering who he was talking to. Nami had whispered those words, and even though everyone else had not heard her, Luffy had.

She still had her head lowered. "What if…you can't win…?" she whispered. Even though she had whispered, everyone heard her that time. They all watched in silent curiosity and slight confusion.

Luffy looked down at her sadly. "I can win…" he replied quietly. Then they all watched in surprise as he slowly lifted a hand and cupped her chin. He raised her head to face him. She looked up into his eyes sadly. "Don't you believe in me…Nami?" he asked quietly.

Her eyes went wide as tears formed in her eyes. She blinked them away as her brows furrowed. "Of course I do!" she whispered loudly.

Luffy smiled warmly down at her. She looked at him in surprise. She could feel her knees growing weak. "That's all I ask…If you believe in me…I can win." he said softly. Then she smiled up at him warmly and nodded. Everyone watched with dropped jaws, except for Sanji, Chopper and Robin. Jiro looked on in confusion at everyone's shock.

Zoro finally recovered and turned to Chopper. "Oi, you did tell them about that drug, right?" he whispered loudly.

Sanji, Chopper, Luffy and Nami all made noises of disbelief at Zoro's careless question. Nami's expression turned sad again as she pulled away from Luffy and looked away. Luffy quickly whirled on Zoro. "Of course he told us!! It doesn't matter!! What matters is that this deity is going down!!" yelled Luffy in anger. Then he made a surprised noise by his own outburst. He took a deep breath and looked down. Everyone was staring at him wide eyed, except for Nami. "Gomen…Zoro…He did tell us…Look…none of that stuff matters…It's just…" he stopped mid-sentence and made a noise of frustration as he shook his head. "Look, I can't really explain it…so…please don't mention it again…" he finished quietly.

Zoro's brows were furrowed in concern. He closed his eyes and then nodded. Then Luffy turned to Jiro. "Now…where is this deity?" he asked in a hard tone.

"We…we really don't know…" replied Jiro nervously. Everyone fell over feet in the air.

Luffy recovered first. He sat up. "What do you mean you don't really know?!" he yelled.

"We…we were never able to figure out where the deity actually was…We were only able to get the information I have explained to you all. They were all very secretive about the deity." explained Jiro.

"By the way, you never did tell us how you came across all of this information." remarked Robin.

Jiro turned to her. "Well, you see…My wife and I were also winners of the festival…However, we kind of got into a fight on our wedding night…So the consummation didn't happen. When the deity sent people to find out what had happened, we ended up over hearing some things…So, we ran, however, we had to find out the truth. So we hid ourselves and have been living on the other side of the island. We would sneak into town and gather information. We learned others were trapped here and found documents on this drug. We knew we had to stop this some how and free these people. However, we weren't strong enough, but then you came along. I figured we might have a chance if I could get you to listen." he explained.

Luffy nodded. "So what the hell are we supposed to do now?" asked Zoro.

Jiro turned to him. "Well, we figured heading to the volcano was our best bet. Since the threat about the deity erupting it has come up more than once." he replied.

"Yosh! Then to the volcano it is!" exclaimed Luffy as he got up and then helped Nami up. Everyone else also got up dusting themselves off and then they all headed to the volcano.

"Someone make sure the Marimo doesn't get lost." yelled Sanji over his shoulder.

"What did you say?!" yelled Zoro from somewhere. He was already lost. Sweat beads formed on the side of everyone's face. Sanji burst out laughing.

Nami quickly walked up behind Sanji and popped him on the back of the head. "Ow! Why did you do that, Nami-san?" he asked looking betrayed with tears in his eyes.

"Go and look for him!!" she yelled angrily.

"Haaai, Nami-swan!!" he exclaimed in his love-love state as he ran off to look for Zoro. A few minutes later they both came walking back. They were both angry and were face to face with scowls.

Robin turned toward Luffy, "Shall we continue?" she asked with a warm smile.

"Aa." replied Luffy as he turned and continued to walk.

"Someone hold Zoro's hand so he doesn't get lost again…" remarked Usopp.

"What did you say?!" yelled Zoro angrily as he approached Usopp.

"Eeee!" screeched Usopp as he ran away.

Chopper ran up to Zoro with his cute smile and grabbed his hand with his hoof. "Eh?" questioned Zoro with a raised brow, but allowed the little reindeer to lead him.

They all continued the trek out of town towards the volcano and into the wilderness of the island. "Jiro!" called a female voice. Everyone stopped walking and turned to the voice. A woman came running up to them.

"Eeeeh?!" exclaimed Luffy and Nami in surprise. "It's you!" they continued.

The woman turned towards them and then grinned happily. "Jiro, you found them!" she exclaimed happily.

"Aa…their crew was very hospitable…for the most part…and allowed me to explain to them." replied Jiro nervously.

"Eh?" remarked Zoro as he rose up a brow at him. Jiro laughed nervously and brought up his hands defensively.

"You're the one from the hotel!!" both Luffy and Nami exclaimed.

"Un…I'm really sorry about that…" she replied as she blushed. Then she turned to Jiro. "I'm also sorry I failed…" she said quietly.

Jiro smiled warmly at her. "It's alright. All that matters is we succeeded in the end." he replied quietly. She looked up at him and smiled warmly. Then Jiro turned to the others. "Sumimasen, where are my manners again? This is my wife, Abe Yui." he said as she bowed to them.

Everyone nodded to her. "It's nice to meet you Yui-san." greeted Robin warmly.

"Arigato." said Yui as she smiled.

"We should hurry. We don't have much time." said Zoro.

"Aa." agreed Luffy as he continued to walk, everyone following him. They finally reached the wilderness at the end of town and made their way through the brush. After awhile they came to a clearing, and they walked to the middle of it.

Zoro stopped and pulled out his sword. "Zoro?" questioned Nami.

"We've got company…" he replied.

"Aa…" agreed Luffy and Sanji. Luffy pulled Nami behind him as they all took on the defensive.

A group of men walked out and greeted them. In the middle of them all were three familiar faces. "What the…?! It's that announcer guy from the festival!!" exclaimed Zoro as he clenched his teeth.

"Looks like he brought friends…" added Sanji.

Both Luffy and Nami stared at them all. "You're the registration ossan!!" yelled Luffy.

"Senshu…and Bairon!" exclaimed Nami.

"You know these guys?" asked Zoro as he turned to them.

Then suddenly, both Luffy and Nami's eyes went huge as they inhaled sharply. They both turned to each other. "Mora-sensei!" they both yelled to each other in realization.

"Cho…chotto matte!! You mean the beautiful Mora-san is…the deity!!!" yelled Sanji in disbelief.

"It makes sense now! I remember the first time we went there she struck me as odd! I remember the way she shook Luffy's hand. She didn't let go of him right away!" exclaimed Nami. "Ah! That also explains why she immediately took her hand away from Sanji-kun! I thought I saw a look of disgust on her face, so it wasn't my imagination!" she continued.

"Ah…Nami-san…you wound me…" said Sanji as tears waterfalled down his face.

"Gomen…Sanji-kun…" she apologized with a shrug.

Sanji bowed his head and continued to cry. "Ahou…" remarked Zoro as he glared at Sanji.

"What did you say, Baka Marimo!!" yelled Sanji as he approached Zoro.

"Now is not the time!!" yelled Usopp.

"Usopp is right…" said Luffy as he stared at the three. "So what do you guys want?" he asked in a threatening voice.

"We just want to talk is all…" replied Mogu in a less than serious tone.

"Talk? We're already talking…" replied Luffy not attempting to hide his anger.

Mogu only grinned menacingly at him. Suddenly, and without warning there was a huge gust of wind. Everyone went down to the ground covering their heads. Everyone was slightly blown away from each other. Luffy grabbed a hold of his hat so it wouldn't fly away as the strong wind continued. He looked over. Nami was a few feet away from him. She had her head covered with her arms. "NAMI!!" he yelled as he started crawling towards her. The wind was so strong and loud he wasn't sure she heard him. Then she slightly looked up towards him. He continued to crawl the few feet towards her.

However, before he could reach her a very large claw came down and grabbed her. She was gone. Luffy's eyes went large as he attempted to look up. An extremely large bird was flying away with his Navigator. "NA-MI!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"LU-FFY!!!" he heard her scream in return.

Soon the wind and noise began to dissipate the further the bird flew away. Luffy stood up and ran toward where the bird had flown. "NA-MI!!" he screamed again.

However, a hand grabbed his shoulder. "You aren't really going to fight Mora-san, are you?" asked Sanji slightly concerned.

"I have to!! Let go of me!!" yelled Luffy as he pulled away from Sanji. "If you've got a problem with me fighting with a woman, we will deal with it later! I don't have time to argue with you right now!!" he yelled as he continued to run. Sanji looked toward him wide eyed. Mogu and the others stepped in his path. "MOVE!!" yelled Luffy in anger.

Suddenly, Zoro stepped in swiping his swords at the three. They jumped back to dodge the blow. "Go Luffy! We'll hold them off!" he said with Wadō Ichimonji in his mouth.

Luffy nodded and contiuned running. "Matte, Luffy…" started Sanji.

However, a sword blocked his path. "You heard our Captain. He said he would deal with you later. Is your chivalry really more important than a Nakama…more than Nami?" asked Zoro. Sanji made a pained expression as he let out a noise of frustration. Then he looked down and took a few deep breathes. "Good, now help me out with these guys already." he contiuned.

Sanji looked up and grinned. "Aa!" he exclaimed as he walked up next to Zoro. Zoro grinned in return and then faced their enemy.

**To Be Contiuned…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **The – in between Luffy and Nami's name means that when they screamed each other's names they held it for a while. So instead of doing this: NAAAMMMIII!!! I did this NA-MI! Understand? X) Good!! XD Much easier and cleaner this way. XP

**Author's Note: ** I took most of the Japanese out of this chapter. I decided to only use the very very basic Japanese that I know everyone should know. I think it was indeed to much trouble for readers. It was fun, but too much trouble! XP I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I know, I actually left it off on a bit of a cliff hanger, huh? I sowwie! XP From here on out, the rest of my story will be coming straight from my mind. So my chapters are going to be sporadic. They might take me awhile to post, or I might post them sooner than normal. We will see. Anyways, please review! XD


	15. Chapter 15: The Battle Begins!

**Author's Note: **Sorry, I didn't have time to proof read this one, so if there are mistakes, TOUGH! Also, please don't review on my misspelled words…-.- I want to know what you thought of the chapter, NOT how many words I misspelled…I hope you all enjoy my fight scenes! XD I had Nico Rune look over them, so hopefully they are to everyone's satisfaction. THANKS RUNE! You are uber! XD Anyways, please review! I want to know all of your opinions on each and every one of my chapters! I will be posting another chapter on Friday, so look forward to it! XD Flames and criticism are welcome! Enjoy! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 15: The Battle Begins!**

Luffy ran through the jungle at a very high speed, trying his best to keep the large bird in his view. There was now some light in the sky. It wasn't quite sunrise yet, but it was getting there. It had taken them an hour to get out of the town and into the jungle. He looked toward the light. It would be sunrise in bout thirty minutes or so. He looked back up at the large bird. With the slight light in the sky, he could now see the color of the bird. It was the exact same colors as Mora Lionni, orange, red, and yellow. Luffy made a noise of frustration. The trees were blocking his view. He stretched his arm grabbing a hold of a branch and swung himself up. He began jumping and swinging from tree branch to tree branch. He could see a lot better and what he saw was Mora getting further and further away with his Navigator. It was headed straight for the volcano. He had to hurry.

----

Nami cringed at the tight hold she was in. The tips of the large bird' talons were sinking into her skin. Nami cried out in pain. Suddenly, she heard a voice in her head. "It will all be over soon enough." it said. Nami looked up at Mora with wide eyes. It had been the same voice as Mora-sensei's.

"What do you want?!" she yelled toward Mora.

"I think you already know the answer to that question. I will make sure I get my meal." the voice said.

Nami's eyes widened. 'This can't be happening…We have our dreams…Luffy…I have to do something! I can't let this happen…We would be stuck here…' she thought to herself. Nami bent down as far as she could reach and bit down on the flesh from Mora's foot. The large bird cried out. Nami brought her hands to her ears, and then she was released. Nami began to fall several hundred feet toward the trees below.

----

Luffy looked back towards Mora as he heard it cry out. His heart nearly stopped. He watched as a small figure began to plummet towards the trees. "NAAMMMIII!!!" he screamed in his panic. He was no where near her. If she fell from that height…" NOO!!" he screamed again as he frantically tried to go fast. However, he knew his efforts would be in vain. "No!!" he screamed again. Then he watched as the large bird swooped down and plucked Nami right out of the sky. He looked surprised. "What is Nami doing?!" he yelled to himself as he clenched his teeth down.

----

"KYAAAAAAAA!!" screamed Nami in her pain. Mora had sunk her talons deep into Nami's skin.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the voice yelled into her mind.

Nami was breathing hard from the pain. She could feel the blood seeping through the material of the dress. "I can't…let you!!" she yelled through clenched teeth.

"You will give me what I want!! Even if it's not tonight, as long as I have you near me, I will get what I want! Luffy-san is a rarity. I will not lose this meal!!" she heard the voice yell into her mind.

"Chotto matte, I thought we only had until sunrise!!" yelled Nami.

Nami heard laughter in her mind. She made a noise in anger as she furrowed her brows. "You were told that, yes. I wanted my meal as soon as possible, of course. It doesn't mean that the ritual would be ruined. Remember, I keep them all here. I continued to feed off of their auras even after the consummation." she explained.

Nami inhaled sharply as her eyes grew larger. 'Of course…I can't believe we didn't think of that! We're still in danger of being trapped here!' she thought to herself as she clenched her teeth down and furrowed her brows. 'Luffy…' she thought to herself.

"It would appear you both have strong wills. Luffy-san especially, he fought against you and the drug for far longer than I expected him to. It seems…it will take some…convincing…for me to get him to give me what I want…" she heard the humored voice in her mind and then she heard laughter. Nami's eyes grew even larger as the laughter echoed in her mind. 'Luffy…" she thought again as she closed her eyes.

----

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make himself go any faster. He was going as fast as he possibly could. He could no longer see Mora or Nami. However, he was getting closer and closer to the volcano. "I'm almost there…Just wait for me…Nami…" he whispered to himself.

----

The rest of the crew stood in front of their newest opposition. They all stood at the ready. Zoro stood in front of them with all three of his swords drawn. Sanji stood next to him with one hand in his pocket the other holding his cigarette in place as he took a drag. Franky stood legs apart and arms crossed with a lopsided smile on his face. Robin stood calmly behind them with a nervous and scared Usopp and Chopper already in Heavy Point ready for battle.

Zoro noticed the biggest guy had a long huge item across his back. 'I wonder if that's a sword…' he thought to himself as he grinned. He also noticed the small rounder announcer guy also had something strapped to his back.

"So I can't help but to notice you three look alike. You brothers or something?" asked Franky casually with a slight laugh.

"Aa, that's right." replied Mogu as he maneuvered his arm to his right. "This is Bairon…" he started and then he maneuvered his arm to his left, "and this is Senshu." he finished with a menacing grin.

"Hoo…That's too bad…" remarked Zoro with his own grin through Wadō Ichimonji in his mouth.

Mogu's smile only widened. "We have served Mora-sama for over three hundred years." he stated.

Zoro raised a brow. "I never asked for your employment record…" he replied annoyed.

Mogu scowled. "Che!" he exclaimed in annoyance. "Let's go boys!!" he yelled as they began to charge.

Zoro slightly turned his upper body to look over his shoulder. "Oi…think you can handle the rest?" he asked the three behind them.

"Of course, Bushido-san." replied Robin.

"Aa…" replied Chopper.

"O…of course!! I have my eight thousand followers who can assist us!!" exclaimed Usopp.

"Really?! Eight thousand?!" asked Chopper awe. Robin smiled at them both.

A sweat bead dropped down the side of Zoro's face. "Ri-ght…" he responded. Then he turned to face the opponents.

Suddenly, black wings sprout out from the backs of the three brothers, and their noses turned into large beaks. They all lunged forward toward them. Zoro brought his swords out in a defensive stance. He watched as the larger brother removied the long and large item from his back. He unsheathed it to reveal a very long and large blade. Zoro grinned as he launched himself towards him.

Franky watched as the announcer guy removed the item from his back to reveal a large cannon. Franky lifted up his arm and his wrist opened to reveal his cannon.

Senshu ran towards Sanji. Sanji brought up a knee in anticipation for the attack.

Bairon swung his sword high above his head and brought it down swiftly down on Zoro. Zoro blocked the fierce blow easily. His feet skid across the rocky ground at the intense blow. Zoro grinned as he uncrossed his swords forcing Bairon back. They both stood facing one another ready for the other to attack. "I see you're pretty good with a sword." remarked Zoro with a grin.

"Aa…" replied Bairon in his deep voice.

"Good…" said Zoro. Then they both lunged at one another.

Mogu fired his mini cannon at Franky from the air. Franky brought up his arm as his shield came out and deflected the shot. "Hoo…interesting." remarked Mogu.

"Aa…I'm a cyborg! I'm Supa!!!" exclaimed Franky as he brought up his arms in a blue star pose.

"Right…" replied Mogu.

Franky grinned. He brought up his arm as his wrist opened. "Weapons Left!!" he yelled as he fired up at Mogu.

Sanji blocked Senshu's kick. He was pushed back a ways but maintained his stance and his balance. "You have strong leg power…" remarked Senshu as he jumped back from Sanji in his deep drawl.

"Aa…a chef never uses his hands in a fight…" replied Sanji as he took a long drag from his cigarette. He dropped the bed and then ground it into the dirt with the tip of his foot. He pulled out a new cigarette and lit it.

"I see…" replied Senshu. Sanji watched as the talons in his feet extended.

"Hoo…that's an interesting trick…" remarked Sanji.

Senshu charged forward and then jumped up preparing for a kick. Sanji easily block it and then used the same leg to kick Senshu away from him. Sanji flipped back and landed on his feet. Senshu landed on his feet a few feet away.

Robin, Chopper and Usopp did their best to keep the rest of the harmful crowd off the main fighters. "Trienta Flor!" exclaimed Robin as she crossed her arms in front of her. Arms began to sprout from a lot of the crowd charging at them. "Clutch!" she continued as she incapcitated many of the opponents.

"Kayaku Boshi!!" yelled Usopp as he shot at many enemies.

Chopper threw up a Rumble Ball and ate it. "Horn Point!!" he yelled as reverted to his Horn Point. He began ramming enemies with his large horns.

Zoro stood and face Bairon who in turn was doing the same. Suddenly, they charged each other at the same time. "Santōryū…Oni Giri!!" cried Zoro as he and Bairon charged each other. Zoro grinned a slash appeared on his arm. He turned around toward Bairon. "Nice…" he said quietly.

Bairon also turned toward Zoro and smiled. Only a small gash appeared on his chest.

Mogu flew over Franky firing his cannon at him. Franky furrowed his brows as he brought up his right arm. "Strong Right!!" he yelled as his fist shot off on a chain and wrapped around Mogu. Franky pulled on the chain and slammed Mogu onto the ground.

Mogu got up and dusted himself off. He grinned at Franky. "Alright…let's get serious…" he said quietly.

"Aa…that's what I was trying to tell you…" replied Franky with a scoff.

"Che!" scoff Mogu as he stared at Franky.

"Collier!!" yelled Sanji as he kicked Senshu in the neck sending him flying into a tree. Sanji landed on his feet and turned to face Senshu. Senshu got up and dusted himself off. "Hooo…you're tougher than I thought…" remarked Sanji.

----

Luffy finally made his way to the foot of the volcano. He looked up at the long way up. He stretched his arms as high as he could go. This wasn't like climbing the mountain back at Drum Island. He didn't have a sick Nami to worry about. He grabbed onto a ledge and then pulled himself up. He flew over the side and then landed on a flat surface. He stood up and began to walk forward slowly and catiously. The flat area was fairly big and wide. He looked a little to his left. There was a cave. He started walking over to it. "That's far enough." he heard in his mind. He stopped walkinh and made a throaty noise. He looked around, but didn't see anything.

Suddenly, the large bird walked out of the cave. It's form had slightly changed. It now had arms with it's wings on it's back. In one of her hands with her fingers wrapped around her neck, was Nami. She had her arm lifted up. Nami was grabbing at the fingers around her neck as she tried to struggle against it. "NAMI!!" yelled Luffy as he took a step forward.

Nami cried out in pain, as one of the talons from Mora's fingers dug into the skin of her neck. "I said don't come any closer!" the voice in his mind said. Luffy stopped and glared at Mora with clenched teeth. "I'm sure you're wondering…What do I want? Right?" the voice asked.

Luffy stood up straighter as he contiuned to glare at her. "Aa…" he replied.

"I will get what I want! Your energy, and you will give it to me without difficulty. If you fight me, I'll kill her!" the voice threatened as the grip on Nami's neck tightened, causing Nami to claw at the fingers.

"No! Yamero!! Please…don't! Alright…I will do as you ask…" he said as he made a pained expression.

"No! Luffy!! Don't do what she says…AHH!!!" cried out Nami and as she did the talons dug deeper into her skin drawing blood.

"Nami!!" yelled Luffy in concern.

"Silence!!!" yelled the voice. Then Mora turned toward the cave. A man walked out and approached Luffy with a smirk on his face. "I know all about your Devil's Fruit abilities. Let him put those on you." the voice said.

Luffy narrowed his eyes in concern, but slowly lifted both his arms. The man approached him and brought the sea stone cuffs around his wrists. Without the man noticing, Luffy extended the width of his wrists as soon as the cuffs clicked in place. Once the sea stone took affect on Luffy, his wrists automatically shrank back to normal size. He felt his strength leave him as he sunk to the ground. "LUFFY!!" yelled Nami.

Luffy tried his best to look up at her. "Na…mi…" he rasped out.

"Good…" the voice replied. "Go back down and help the others." the voice order the man. The man turned and nodded before starting the climb down. Then Mora turned to face Nami. "Now…" the voice said as she stared down at Nami.

Then suddenly, Nami began to cry out and struggle against Moras fingers. "NO!! Yamete! Don't!!" she yelled.

"Nami!" cried out Luffy with what little strength he had. Then suddenly, Nami's eyes shot open wide and the struggles stopped. She leaned her head back and went limp. "NAMI!!" yelled Luffy as he tried to get up.

----

Nami woke up and sat up in bed. She looked around at the medium sized room. There was a small armiore in front of her and a door to its left. She looked down at the bed. It was a decent size with a brown comforter. She stretched her arms. She got out of bed dressed only in her underwear and a tank top. She walked over to the bathroom and began to brush her teeth. When she was done she went back into the bedroom and put on a skirt and changed her shirt. She was in a good mood this morning. She walked out and made her way downstairs. She could already hear some noise coming from down there. She smiled warmly as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

She turned to her right and walked through a door way. Then she saw him bent over a box and pulling stuff out. He stood up straighter as he scratched his head. Her smile widened as she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. Luffy jumped and turned to Nami. "Oh, Nami, you're awake!" he exclaimed happily as he grinned.

"Un, why didn't you wake me!" she replied as she slid around to his front and looked down into the box. "So it finally came, huh?" she asked as she knelt over to get a better look.

"Aa! I thought you could use the rest! Today is the big day!!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Un, and that's exactly why you should have woken me!!" she exclaimed as she stood up straighter to falsey glare at her husband.

"Shishi, it's okay! I can handle it myself!" he said as he grinned.

"Like hell you can!!" laughed Nami as she pulled his straw hat over his face.

Luffy laughed as he lifted up his hat. "I was trying to figure out what prices to set." he said as he knelt over the box and began to remove items.

"Ah! Let me handle that department! You would probbably start feeling bad and giving stuff away for free!!" she exclaimed as she knelt next to him.

"Shishi! I would not! Besides, I value my life…" he said with a grin.

Nami laughed as she looked over all the products they would be selling in their new store. They had just gotten married about a month ago and rented out this house. They had once been pirates, but then decided to settle down and give up their dreams. They had said farewell to their old crew, who left only a few weeks ago…

----

"NO!! NO!! YAMETE!!!" screamed Nami as she began to panic. "Yamete…please!! We can't!! Please…." she contiuned to cry out. Tears began to stream down her temples. "Luffy…" she cried out as she began to cry.

"NAMI!! YAMERO!!! What are you doing to her?!!" yelled Luffy as he tried to lift himself off the ground but to no avail.

"I'm only make her see what her life could be like if she allowed the ritual to continue." said the voice.

Luffy made a throaty noise as he furrowed his eyes in confusion. "Na…nani?!" he questioned as he began to struggle with the cuffs.

"Yamete…please…don't do this…" cried Nami quietly as the tears contiuned down her temples. 'I can't let her! I can't let her destroy our dreams!' she thought to herself. "Luffy…please…help me…" she said quietly as she shut her eyes tightly. Then her eyes shot opened again and she went limp.

"NAMI!!" yelled Luffy. Then he began to try and pull his wrist through the cuffs. He had almost no strength, but knowing she needed him, he tried his best with what little strength he did have. He cried out in pain and frustration as he tried to pull one of his wrists free. The cuffs began to dig and cut into his skin. He didn't care. He continued to try and pull his wrist free. He could feel the blood seeping from his wrists.

----

Nami woke up in her bed of two years. She sat up and smiled. Today was their two year anniversary. She looked over and smiled at the empty space next to her. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and began to struggle to get up. As she stood her hand went straight to her back. She was heavily pregnant and would be giving birth any day now. She walked over to the bathroom to brush her teeth and use the bathroom. She was doing that often, it being her ninth month and all. She made her way downstairs after having changed her clothes. She looked around in the living room, but didn't seem him anywhere. She turned to her left and walked through the door way to the dining room and made her way to the kitchen.

That's where she found him. He was standing in front of the stove, making breakfast. He turned at hearing her enter the room, and then he grinned. "Morning!" he exclaimed with a grin.

"Good morning." replied Nami as she walked over to him.

Luffy looked down at her belly. He gently placed a hand over it. "Good morning!" he said softly to her stomach. Nami smiled down at him. He stood up straighter and smiled at her.

"What are you making?" she asked as she looked into the pan.

"Mikan pancakes!" he exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Oh, Luffy…those are my favorite!" she exclaimed with a smile. 

"Aa…Happy Anniversary!" he exclaimed as he leaned forward and kissed her before turning back to the pan.

"Arigato, Luffy…" she said quietly and warmly.

"Aa!" he exclaimed as he contiuned to cook.

Nami looked around. "You made a mess though." she said as she laughed. He had also managed to get batter all over his face. Nami giggled as she grabbed a rag and ran some water on it. She walked back over to him and began to clean off his face. Luffy just grinned and chuckled.

"I'll clean it up! Don't worry!" he replied as she cleaned off his face.

She smiled warmly at her husband and then kissed his nose once she was done cleaning his face.

----

Luffy looked up at Nami. He watched as tears started to stream back down her temple. She was crying, even though she was stuck in a trance. "Nami…" he whispered as his face contorted in his pain. He continued to struggle with the cuffs. He could feel his strength failing him. He cried out in pain and frustration as he pulled on his wrist one strong pull. The blood on his wrist doubled as lubrication and his hand finally popped through the cuff. He collapsed to the ground as he breathed heavily. He had used almost all his strength.

He had to get free. He had to save her. He began to struggle with the second cuff around his other wrist. He rubbed some of the blood from his other wrist around it. Then he began to pull on it. He cried out in pain and frustration as he could feel his strength continue to diminish. If he didn't get out of these cuffs soon…he may not be able to at all.

----

Zoro was breathing heavily as he faced off with Bairon. He had several cuts and gashes cause by him. However, he had some some cuts and gashes of his own. Bairon looked no better off than he was. 'I need to finish this…' Zoro thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes at his opponent. Zoro readied his stance. Bairon did the same. "Time to end this…" he said quietly. "Santōryū…Hyaku Hachi Pondo Hou!!" he exclaimed as he rose both swords over his right shoulder and slashed downward on Bairon as he lunged for an attack. Zoro stood up straight with his back to Bairon. Bairon also stood up straight with his back to Zoro.

Zoro grabbed at his chest and stumbled forward. Blood gushed from Bairon's chest as he fell forward. Zoro stood up straighter and resheathed his swords.

Franky stood breathing heavily as he stared Mogu down. Mogu had a bent wing from where Franky had slammed him into a tree. He was no longer able to fly. He too was also breathing heavily. Mogu charged at Franky. Franky sucked in his breath. "Fresh…Fire!!" he yelled as he blew fire from his mouth. Mogu jumped back but not before some of the fire enveloped him. He stumbled backwards and fell onto his back. He rolled around to exstinguish the fire. Franky took his opportunity. "Weapons Left!" he cried as he shot towards Mogu. Mogu got hit as he skid across the ground.

He slowly sat up and then stood up clumsily. He glared at Franky. Then he charged at Franky and fired his cannon. Franky brought up his shield to block the attack. However, it had been close range, sending Franky flying backwards. He sat up and looked towards Mogu. 'I have to finish this…and I've got one shot…I'm running low on Cola…' he thought to himself as he stood up.

"Gomen, announcer-aniki, but it's time to finish this!" he exclaimed as he brought both his arms together. "Coup…De Vent!!" he yelled as air began to get sucked into his cannon. Mogu looked at it with wide eyes. He began to slide across the ground as the air was pulling into Franky's arms. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get away. Then Franky fired. The giant airball came flying at Mogu sending him flying. "At least, you're used to that!!" yelled Franky after him. Then his hair drooped over his face. "Ah…out of Cola…" he said as he sat down.

Chopper ran up next to Franky. "Are you okay, Franky!!" asked Chopper as he stopped next to him.

"Aa…just out of Cola…" he replied tiredly.

"Ah!" exclaimed Chopper as he dropped his pack. He began to rummage through it and then brought out three bottles of Cola. "I brought extras just in case!" he exclaimed as he handed them to Franky.

"Ah! SUPA!! Arigato, Chopper-aniki!!" exclaimed Franky with a grin as he switched out the bottles. His hair immediately went back to it's former position. Franky stood up and began to dance. "I feel Supa once again!!" he yelled as he grinned and continued to dance. Chopper grinned up at him. Then Franky did his blue star pose. "Ow!!" he exclaimed.

Sanji jumped up to kick at Senshu. Senshu easily dodged him as he jumped to the side. Sanji stood up straighter as he was turned sideways to Senshu. He reached up and grabbed a hold of his cigarette. He took a long drag before removing the cigarette and blowing out the smoke. Then he turned to Senshu. Sanji had cuts all over his body from Senshu's kicks. He would use his talons to cut Sanji each time he landed a kick. Blood seeped from each of his wounds.

Sanji had landed a few kicks of his own on Senshu. He gotten a rib shot as well as a lower back shot. He had also managed to get a kick to his face. Blood was streaming down his chin from his mouth. He looked over at Zoro who had just finished off his opponent. "Che! Looks like the Marimo finished off his opponent first…" he whispered to himself in annoyance. "Then I guess it's time to clean up the table…" he whispered as he turned back to Senshu.

Sanji ran toward Senshu. Senshu brought up his arms to block the attack he knew was coming. "Shishinabe Shot!!" he cried as he landed a powerful sidekick which broke Senshu's defense and sent him skidding backwards. Sanji continued to run forward. "Deuxième Haché!!" he yelled as he jumped up a sent a kick with both his legs into Senshu's stomach. Senshu stumbled backwards. "Extra Haché!!" he cried again as he jumped up and sent a barrage of multiple kicks at Senshu for the finishing blow. He sent Senshu flying backwards into many trees, before he finally landed on the ground unconscious.

Sanji landed on his feet and stood up straighter. He grabbed a hold of his cigarette and took a finally drag, before flicking the cigarette at Senshu. The cigarette landed on Senshu's chest. Sanji turned and walked towards the others.

He approached the others. Chopper was already looking over everyone's injuries. He was just finishing up bandaging Zoro when Sanji approached. "About time you finished off your opponent, Magic Brows…" remarked Zoro from where he was sitting.

"Urusai!! Wanna fight next, Marimo?!" yelled Sanji in annoyance.

"Oi, oi, I just bandaged you!! No more fighting!!" order Chopper. Then he turned to Sanji as he finished up Zoro. "Sit! Take off your jacket and roll up your sleeves!!" he ordered as he glared up at Sanji.

"Che!" exclaimed Sanji as he did what he was told. Chopper walked up to him and began to bandage him up. "We need to go after Luffy and Nami when I finish up here and find out if we can help." he said as he cleaned Sanji's wounds.

"Aa…" agreed Zoro as he opened his eyes and looked up toward the volcano. He couldn't see anything from where they were at.

----

Luffy pulled as hard as he possible could on the cuff around his wrist. He could feel as the blood seeped out of his wrists. He didn't care…He had to get free. His vision was beginning to blur. He cried out in pain as he pulled as hard as he could. Finally, the cuff came off. He threw it far away from him and then tried to stand. Considering that Mora had not turned to his cries. He figured she was just as deep into the trance as Nami was. He slowly made his way over to them. He could already feel his strength begin to come back.

He pulled his arm back. "Gomu Gomu no…PISTOL!!" he yelled as he sent his fist flying. His fist slammed into Mora's face sending her flying. Her hold on Nami slipped and Nami fell to the ground. "Nami!" yelled Luffy as he made his way to her. He fell to his knees and lifted her up.

She slowly began to open her eyes. "Luffy…" she whispered. Then her face contorted as tears began to stream down her face. "Yokatta…" she whispered as she closed her eyes.

"It's going to be alright…" said Luffy in a soothing quiet voice as he smiled down at her. Luffy looked up as he noticed motion. He set Nami down gently and stood up. He walked over toward Mora.

"How did you get out of those sea stone cuffs?!" he heard the voice in his mind.

"That's not important!" he yelled as he continued to approach her.

He watched as Mora stood up and spread out her wings. Then she flew forward toward him. Luffy got into stance. "Gomu Gomu no…GATTLING GUN!!" he yelled as he began to rapidly punch toward Mora. Mora rolled to the side and continued to fly at Luffy. Luffy's arms snapped back into place. Mora landed a blow to Luffy's stomach. Luffy cried out as he flew into the volcano wall behind him. He slid to the ground and landed on his knee. He looked up at Mora who was already flying toward him. He stood up, swaying on his feet. "Gomu Gomu no…PISTOL!!" he yelled as he sent a fist flying toward her. She dodged again and then sent a fist into his gut slamming him into the volcano wall behind him.

Luffy cried out in pain. "LUFFY!!" yelled Nami as she tried to sit up. She turned over and leaned up on her elbows. "Luffy!" she cried again. Mora was holding Luffy up against to wall from the punch she dealt him. Luffy's head was bowed forward.

"You _will _give me what I want!!!" the voice yelled.

Luffy slowly lifted his head as blood seeped from his mouth. He stared Mora in the eyes. "We…will never give up our dreams…" he said in a harsh tone. Mora brought back her fist extending her fingers. She sent her talons into Luffy's stomach. Luffy cried out again and then he coughed up blood.

"No!! Luffy!! Yamete!!" yelled Nami. She started dragging her body toward them. She had already lost quite a bit of blood and was left with almost no strength. Her vision began to blur from tears and blood loss. "Luffy…" she whispered as she fell forward, unconscious.

Mora removed her talons from Luffy's stomach and watched as he slid to the ground. He landed on his knees and then fell forward. She knelt down and grabbed a hold of his tie, lifting him up. Luffy made a strained noise from the tight hold around his neck. "That should keep you quiet!" the voice yelled. She let go of the tie. Luffy's head hit the ground. She stood up as she turned and walked towards Nami. Luffy struggled to bring himself up. He leaned up on his elbows shakily. He pushed himself up as best he could. He brought up one knee and then his other. He stood up slowly and stumbled sideways. He kept his balance as he began to make his way to Mora slowly. He had his head lowered and his hair concealing his eyes. His hat had fallen off and was hanging down his back. He stumbled forward and kept losing and regaining his balance as he made his way to Mora.

He brought both his arms back behind him. "Gomu Gomu no…" he said quietly. Mora stopped and turned toward Luffy. She noticed him too late. "BAZOOKA!!" he cried as he looked up and sent both arms flying into Mora's gut. Mora went flying off the side of the volcano. Luffy's arms snapped back, and then he fell forward. He landed face down on the ground. He could feel the blood seeping from his wrists and his stomach. He leaned up on his elbows and began to drag his body over to Nami. He was still weak from the cuffs and now from blood loss. He got up onto his knees and began to crawl over to Nami.

He crawled up to her and slid his arm under her and lifted her up. "Nami…" he called gently down to her.

Nami's eye lids fluttered as she began to open her eyes. She looked up into his face. Her eyes were glazed over. "Luffy…" she whispered. She turned her head towards the now rising sun. "It's sunrise…Did you…win…?" she asked as she turned back toward him.

Luffy looked up toward the rising sun. "Aa…she was no where near…as tough as Enel was…" he said quietly with a scoff as he looked back down at her.

"She injured you…though…" she said quietly as her brows furrowed.

"Aa…I'll be fine…" he said quietly as he attempted to chuckle. He winced from the pain of trying to laugh with a stomach injury.

"Luffy…" cried Nami quietly as tears formed in her eyes. "I'm so sorry…" she whispered.

Luffy smiled warmly down into her face. "It's okay…I'm just glad…I was able to help you…" he said softly.

Nami smiled warmly up at him. She slowly lifted her arm and placed her hand gently on his face. "Arigato…Luffy." she whispered as more tears formed in her eyes, threatening to overflow. "You did help me…Luffy…Arigato…" she continued in her whisper.

"Aa…I would do it again and again if it meant seeing that smile…" he whispered.

Nami looked up at him in surprise. Then she smiled up at him with all the love she felt as the tears streamed down her temples. "I love you…Luffy…" she whispered softly.

He reached up and grabbed a hold of the hand she had on his face and brought it down to her stomach as he held it tightly. "Aa…I love you too…Nami…" he whispered as his warm smile became warmer and softer. Nami looked at him in surprise again, and then she smiled up at him warmly as more tears streamed down her temple. Then her eyes slowly began to close and her smile faded. "Oi, Nami!!" cried Luffy as her head titled to the side and her eyes closed. He squeezed her hand. She was unconscious. Luffy looked down at her with a warm expression. Then his vision began to blur. He fell over beside Nami, unconscious. His arm was still under her, while his other hand still held her hand tightly over her stomach.

----

The crew made the climb up the mountain. Suddenly, a large bird flew down past them. They all grabbed the mountain wall and hugged the wall tightly to not be knocked down by it. They all looked down as the large bird hit the ground. "Looks like Luffy took care of his opponent…" remarked Zoro.

"Aa…" agreed Usopp, Franky, Chopper, and Sanji as they too were looking down at the bird.

They made their way up and climbed over the side. Sanji knelt down and helped the others climb over the side. Zoro started walking toward the two bodies lying on the ground. The rest of the crew followed behind him. They stopped and looked down at the embracing pair. Luffy had a tight hold on Nami while he was holding her hand. Nami's face was tilted towards his. Their faces were very close to each others. There were tears still streaming down Nami's nose and temple. Both were unconscious.

Everyone was staring down at the two with surprised expressions. "Suge…" whispered Usopp. "I can't believe…" he didn't finish is sentence.

"Aa…" agreed Sanji to Usopp's unspoken sentence.

"How are we going to get them down…?" asked Chopper quietly as he stared down at them. Zoro's brows rose up and then he turned to the little reindeer. Chopper looked up at him. "Aa…I get it…" Chopper replied to the unspoken answer as he looked back down at the embracing pair.

**To Be Continued…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **Wadō Ichimonji is the name of the Kuina's sword.

**2: **Kayaku Boshi translates to Gunpowder Star.

**3: **Santōryū…Oni Giri translates to Three Sword Style Demon Cleave.

**4: **Collier (Shrugs) It's just Sanji's move…

**5: **Hyaku Hachi Pondo Hou translates to 108 Pound Cannon.

**6: **Suge means 'Wow' and all the good stuff….(Being lazy)

**Author's Note: **I hope you all enjoyed my butt kicking action! I was too lazy to come up with moves for the enemies…Come on…I'm not Rune…Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! XD Please remember to review! I love and reply to those! XD


	16. Chapter 16: Truth and Lies

**Author's Note: **Here is my 16th chapter! XD I think this one is just gonna leave you all a little confused…O.o But oh well! Read it anyways! XD Please review! Flames and criticism are welcome!! **PS: **Technically Rune…I posted this on Friday…It's 1 am…so you can't get mad at me!! AHAHAHAHA!!! XD ENJOY! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 16: Truth and Lies…**

It wasn't as hard to get the two off the volcano as the crew thought it was going to be. After Chopper had bandaged them both up, Robin used her power to carry them down the volcano. Zoro and Sanji were waiting down below for them. Once everyone was down, Chopper helped to put Luffy onto Zoro's back. Then in heavy point, he lifted Nami in his arms and they began to walk back to the ship. Jiro and Yui had come out from hiding once all the fighting was over. As soon as they made it to town, everyone was in a panic. It would seem after Luffy had defeated Mora, the lie they had been living had shattered. Everyone looked confused or distraught.

An older man took one look at them and ran forward. "Oi, Mugiwara!!" he yelled as he approached him. "Is he okay?!" he asked.

"Who are you?" asked Zoro.

"My name is Lou. I'm the man he bought all the meat from. Oi, are they okay?! What has happened? Everyone is in chaos!! Please come to my house. I have extra beds they can use." he said in a random panic.

Chopper and Zoro exchanged looks. "Aa…will take you up on that, Lou-san." replied Sanji. Everyone turned to him. "Luffy thought you were a nice man. If Luffy believes that, then I trust his judgment." he continued.

"Ah! You must be Mugiwara's crew! It's very nice to meet you all. From what you said, you are indeed good people. Just as I thought he was." Lou said as he nodded toward Luffy. "Please, right this way." he said as he maneuvered his arm toward a shop.

Everyone followed him inside and up some stairs. Lou opened a door to a room with two small beds. Zoro and Chopper walked in and gently laid them both down. They walked out and closed the door. Everyone met in Lou's dining area. His wife was there looking confused. "Please, explain to us what has happened. Why are you all in such bad shape and do you know what has happened to everyone?" asked Lou.

Everyone looked at one another. Jiro stepped forward and began to explain.

----

"This is unbelievable…Then…a deity did this to us? We had no idea…We all thought it was just a Dance Festival for marriage…It was all just a trap…We had no idea about this…deity…" Lou said in a daze. Then he looked up quickly. "If that's the case, we can't let this deity loose! I will be right back! We must retrieve this deity!" he exclaimed as he stood up and left.

Lou's wife stepped forward. "Please you are all welcome to rest. We have another spare room. There are also the couches in the living room." she said.

"Arigato, Kana-san." replied Robin. The woman smiled warmly at them.

"Do you mind if I make breakfast, Kana-chan?" asked Sanji.

"Oh not at all, I will help." she replied with a wider smile.

Sanji smiled and bowed. "I would be honored to have your assistance." he said. Then they both went into the kitchen.

Usopp laid his head onto the table. "I'm so tired..." he said quietly. "Think I'm going to go rest." he said as he got up and headed for the living room.

"I'm going to go check on Luffy and Nami." said Chopper as he walked out and headed for the spare room. Zoro was sitting down against the wall with his eyes closed.

"I want to go into town. I will be back in a few minutes." said Robin. Zoro looked up and nodded. She smiled and then walked out. Then Zoro stood up and headed for the living room. He might as well get a little rest too.

----

Chopper walked down the hall towards the spare room. Then he could hear a voice from inside. He opened the door. Nami was calling out in her sleep. He ran over to her. "Luffy…Luffy…" she whispered over and over again.

"Oi, Nami, its okay. Luffy is just fine. He's right here next to you." he said quietly down to her. Nami stopped whispering his name and began to relax. Chopper furrowed his brows. Then he began to look over her wounds to make sure they were okay.

Then he turned and began to look over Luffy. Suddenly, Luffy's brows furrowed. "Na…mi…" he whispered. Chopper looked down at him in surprise. He turned to Nami and then back to Luffy.

"It…its alright…Luffy…Nami's fine…" he said quietly. "She's right here next to you…" he continued. Luffy relaxed in his sleep. Chopper looked down at him in confusion. 'That really must have been some drug…' he thought to himself as he continued to check over Luffy.

After he was done, he left the room and made his way into the kitchen. "I need a bowl of ice water, please. They are both suffering from fevers." he said as he approached Kana.

"Of course." she replied as she put down the knife she was using to cut vegetables. She walked over to a cupboard and brought out a bowl. She filled it with water and ice and then handed it to Chopper. "There are small towels you can use in the bathroom." she said as Chopper took the bowl.

"Arigato." he said as he turned and walked out. He made his way to the bathroom and retrieved the needed towels. Then he made his way back to the room. He began to bathe both their brows with cold water.

----

After about twenty minutes, Sanji and Kana finished with breakfast. Everyone gathered back into the dining room. Robin had returned from town. Sanji and Kana served up the dishes. Everyone began to eat silently. "So, how are Luffy and Nami-san doing?" asked Sanji.

Chopper looked up at him. "They're doing fine…However…" he started as he looked down.

"However?" asked Zoro.

"Well…they keep calling out for each other in their sleep…" he said quietly.

"Nani?" questioned Usopp. Everyone looked at him in surprise and confusion.

"Aa…I think it has something to do with the drug…It should be wearing off soon. I think that it's at its strongest right now. It's been at it's strongest since last night. Once it wears off, they should be fine." explained Chopper.

"Aa…I believe that is true…From what we read, the drug is at it's strongest the day of the consummation…The deity wanted to insure that the consummation would take place." explained Jiro. Chopper nodded.

"The log pose should set tomorrow…" remarked Sanji.

"How long have you been here?" asked Jiro.

"A week from tomorrow." replied Sanji.

"A week? It takes a little longer than a week for the pose to set." said Jiro.

"Nani?" questioned Chopper and Sanji.

"What were you told when you asked?" asked Jiro.

"The guy said it would set in about a week." replied Sanji.

"Ah…a lazy response…He said in _about _a week…It actually takes a little less than a week and a half. Your log pose should set in three days." explained Jiro.

"I see…" replied Sanji.

"That's actually better. We have no idea when Luffy or Nami will wake up from this…They both lost quite a bit of blood. We need Nami in order to leave. This should give them both time to rest." said Chopper.

"Aa." agreed Sanji.

"You are all welcome to stay here until then. I'm sure my husband would want it that way. Luffy-san had made a big impression on him." said Kana politely with a warm smile.

"Aa, arigato, Kana-chan." thanked Sanji with a smile in return.

**Three Days Later…**

Luffy shot straight up and began to frantically look around. He turned to his left. Nami was in the bed next to him asleep. He relaxed and then smiled. Then the smile immediately disappeared. He looked around the room. He didn't recognize it. Then he just stared at the wall for awhile. Suddenly, the door to the room opened. Luffy looked over at it. Chopper stepped in and closed it. "Oh…Chopper…" said Luffy quietly.

Chopper immediately looked toward him. "Luffy!!" he cried as tears formed in his eyes. He ran to Luffy and leapt on him. Luffy caught him and started laughing. "You're awake!!" he cried as tears and snot hung from his eyes and nose.

"Aa, I'm awake!" exclaimed Luffy as he grinned down at the little reindeer. "Where are we?" asked Luffy.

"We're at Lou's house." he replied.

"Lou?" asked Luffy with a raised brow.

"Aa, the same ossan who sold you meat." replied Chopper.

"Oh, meat?! Really?! He sells meat?!!" exclaimed Luffy excitedly.

"Aa…Luffy…he said he knew you." Chopper said in confusion.

"Knows me?" questioned Luffy in confusion.

"Aa…he's the same ossan you talked about during the festival. You said he gave you free meat…" explained Chopper with furrowed brows.

"Ah! Festival! There's a festival?! That sounds like fun!!...OOOH HE GAVE ME FREE MEAT?! REALLY?! What a nice ossan!!!" exclaimed Luffy.

Chopper's expression changed from confusion to worry. "Luffy…you don't…remember?" he asked quietly.

"Remember? Remember what?" asked Luffy looking confused again.

Chopper's eyes went wide. "You don't…do you?! You've lost your memory!" he exclaimed.

"Eh?! I have?!...I'm hungry…" he said as he drooped. Then he lifted Chopper off, hopped out of bed and ran out the door. "SANJI GIVE ME MEAT!!!" he yelled. Chopper stared out of the open doorway before finally hopping off the bed and following Luffy. He had found his way to the kitchen.

"Oh, Luffy, you're awake!" exclaimed Sanji with a grin.

"Aa!" replied Luffy. "I'm hungry!" he continued.

"Aa…give me a second and I'll whip you up something." replied Sanji with his grin. Luffy nodded. Chopper walked over to Luffy slowly, who was now sitting on the counter. "So are you feeling better?" asked Sanji curious.

"Aa! I feel fine!...That reminds me…Why was I asleep?" asked Luffy as he looked over at a worried Chopper.

"What do you mean, why were you asleep…?" asked Sanji in confusion.

"He doesn't remember…" replied Chopper for him.

Sanji looked over at him. "Doesn't remember?!" he exclaimed.

"Aa…" replied Chopper. Sanji looked over at Luffy who was only grinning back at him stupidly.

"I see…" he replied. "Maybe it's better that way…" he said quietly as he turned back around.

"Eh?" Luffy questioned as he rose up a brow at Sanji's back.

"Nan demo nai…I'll have your food ready soon…Why don't you go ahead and sit down in the dining room. I'll bring it to you…" said Sanji quietly as he continued to prepare Luffy a lunch. Luffy forgot his confusion and grinned as he jumped down and ran into the dining area.

"Do you really think that…Sanji?" asked Chopper.

"I don't know…A lot of weird stuff happened between them…Maybe it is better…if they forgot about it…" he said softly as he continued to chop vegetables.

Chopper frowned and then nodded. He turned, walked out and made his way back to the spare room. He walked in and looked up at Nami. She was still asleep. He sat down in a chair next to her with a frown on his face.

After about ten minutes, Nami shot up in bed and looked frantic. She looked over at the empty bed. "Oh, Nami!" exclaimed Chopper with a grin. Nami seemed to ignore him and got out of bed. She stumbled to the door and opened it. "Oi, Nami!!" called Chopper as he chased after her.

Nami stumbled around not really sure where she was going. She found a doorway and walked through it. She stopped just in the doorway and used it to lean on. She was breathing hard from the exertions of walking. She stared at what she had been searching for. Luffy stared back at her in return as he ate. "NAMI!" Are you okay?!" asked Chopper as he run up behind her.

Nami finally looked down at him. "Un…I…I'm fine…" she replied quietly.

"Do you remember anything then?!" he asked.

"Remember?" she asked confused.

"Aa…do you?" he asked looking a little worried.

"Why?" she asked as she furrowed her brows.

Chopper looked down. "Luffy didn't remember anything when he woke up." he replied quietly.

Nami looked up toward Luffy quickly. "Didn't…remember anything…?" she said quietly. Luffy only stared back at her with an expressionless face. She stared at him for awhile before finally turning back to Chopper. "No…No I don't remember anything either…Sorry…" she said softly as she turned and walked out. Luffy watched her go and then continued to eat.

Chopper followed Nami back to the spare room. "Nami, why did you go looking for Luffy?" he asked as they walked back into the room.

"I…I don't know…" she replied softly. She sat down on the bed with her head lowered. Chopper furrowed his brows at her.

"Are you sure you can't remember anything?" he asked.

"Un…I'm sure…What…What happened?" she asked.

Chopper looked down. At his silence Nami looked up toward him. "I…Sanji said…maybe its better that you guys forgot…" he said quietly.

"Better that we forgot?!" she exclaimed.

"Aa…Let me get the others…We can all talk about this…" he said quietly as he turned and walked out. Nami stared out of the doorway with furrowed brows.

----

After Luffy had eaten, everyone gathered into the dining area. Everyone had explained the majority of everything that had happened. Before the discussion, Sanji had brought it up that is was probably best to omit everything that had happened between Luffy and Nami. He felt it would make Nami uncomfortable. So he said that they will just mention that Luffy had fought a deity to save the town. Everyone had furrowed brows, but had agreed.

"So, Luffy saved the town from a deity?" asked Nami quietly with furrowed brows.

"Aa…" the guys replied.

"That's so cool!!! Was it as strong as Enel?!" asked Luffy with stars in his eyes.

"No…not really…" replied Zoro.

"Aww…" replied Luffy with pursed lips. Nami looked over at him with furrowed brows.

Then she turned to everyone. "Why…why was _I_ out for three days?" she asked.

"Uh…well…the deity…" started Chopper.

"The deity tried to eat you and Luffy had to save you!" exclaimed Usopp loudly. Everyone looked over to him with slight smiles.

Nami furrowed her brows deeper. "Eat…me…?" she said quietly.

"Aa…you both lost a lot of blood!" replied Usopp nervously.

"I see…" she said quietly. "So…the log pose should set today…" she whispered more to herself. Then she got up.

"Where are you going?" asked Chopper.

"Seeing as it's been three days…I would like to take a bath. Is it alright if I use your bathroom, Kana-san?" asked Nami.

"Un, of course." replied Kana as she nodded.

Luffy watched her leave. Then he turned to the others. "Did this deity really try to eat Nami…?" he asked quietly.

"Aa!" exclaimed Usopp.

"Suge!!" exclaimed Luffy with a grin.

"What do you mean, _SUGE_?!!" yelled Sanji angrily as he stood up.

"Ah! I mean……How big was it?!" he asked excitedly. He seemed to forget to explain himself. Sanji grit his teeth.

"It was huge!!" exclaimed Usopp.

"Really?! Suge!!" exclaimed Luffy with stars in his eyes.

----

Nami made her way to the bathroom and went inside. She closed the door and leaned against it. She stared at the ground with a forlorn expression. "Doesn't remember…" she whispered before walking to the tub for a bath. She turned on the water and once it was full she turned it off. She removed her clothes slowly as she stared down at the water. She removed all her bandages and placed them next to her clothes. She stepped into the water and sat down. She winced at the pain the hot water was causing her wounds. She leaned back into the tub and stared up at the ceiling.

She soaked in the tub for a long while, just staring at the ceiling. After awhile there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" asked Nami as she continued to stare at the ceiling.

"It's me, Navigator-san." replied Robin.

"Come in." she said without turning.

Robin opened the door, stepped in side and then closed the door behind her. She looked over at the bleak Navigator. "Are you alright, Navigator-san?" she asked as she walked over to a shelf and placed a clean set of clothes for Nami on it. "I brought you some clothes and your things." she continued.

"Arigato…and I'm fine." she replied quietly as she continued to stare at the ceiling. Robin looked over at her with furrowed brows in concern.

Nami's face and eyes looked blank, completely devoid of any emotion. Robin stared at her for awhile with furrowed brows before sighing quietly. "Alright…" she said softly as she walked out of the bathroom.

Nami slowly turned her head toward the door. She stared at the door for awhile with her blank expression. Then she turned back up and stared at the ceiling. After awhile, she finally began to bathe herself. When she was done, she got out and rinsed herself off with the shower. Then she dried herself off and changed into the new set of clothes Robin had brought for her. She walked over to mirror and began to comb her hair. She stared at her reflection with the same blank expression. When she was done she grabbed her things and walked out of the bathroom. She could hear all the guys talking in the living room.

She made her way to the spare room. She wasn't quite ready to go in there. She placed her things on the first bed and then sat down. She looked down at the log pose. It still hadn't set yet. She set her arm down and just stared ahead of her.

Suddenly, she sensed someone next to her. She slowly turned her head. "Are you alright, Nami-san?" asked Sanji.

"Un…I'm fine…Why do you all keep asking me?" she asked quietly. Her voice was devoid of any emotion.

Sanji furrowed his brows. "I know it must be difficult not being able to remember the past few days, but if you want to talk about…"

"I said I was fine!!" she replied loudly interrupting him.

Sanji made a small noise in the back of his throat. He closed his eyes and then nodded. He turned and walked out of the room. Nami slowly turned her head forward.

----

Sanji slowly made his way to the living room. Everyone looked up at him expectantly. "Aa…Robin-chan is right…I'm not sure what's bothering her…but it seems pretty bad." he said quietly.

Everyone frowned at him. Luffy stared at him with an expressionless gaze. "I wonder what's wrong with her…?" asked Chopper quietly as he furrowed his brows in worry and looked down.

Luffy looked toward the doorway. "You think maybe she's just hungry…" he said.

"ONLY YOU HAVE THAT PROBLEM!!!" everyone yelled at him. Robin only smiled. Luffy turned and looked at them with his expressionless gaze.

Everyone sighed. "Well…whatever is wrong with Nami…only she can make it right…Let's not worry about it…I'm sure she's fine like she says she is…She's probably just having a hard time with not remembering anything. We should just leave her alone." said Zoro. Everyone nodded in agreement. Luffy just looked back toward the doorway.

"Well…we will be leaving today…I'm going to go into town and buy food supplies before we go." said Sanji as he turned and walked out.

"I guess I better go and stock up on Cola for the ship and me." said Franky as he also got up and walked out.

"I need to get more medical supplies." said Chopper quietly as he hopped off his chair and walked out. Robin only walked out without saying anything.

Usopp, Zoro, and Luffy stared after them. "I'm gonna take a nap." Zoro finally said as he closed his eyes.

----

After about two hours, everyone finally returned. They had taken all the supplies to the ship. Kana had sold Sanji some meat for half the price for them having saved the town. She also said her husband would have wanted it that way anyways because of Luffy. Lou had returned and informed them that they had captured and imprisoned Mora and all of her followers.

Everyone had gathered back in the living room. They were all talking when Nami appeared in the doorway. Everyone turned to look at her. She stared at them awhile before speaking. "The log pose is set…We can leave now." she said. Everyone nodded. Luffy only stared at her. Nami looked over at him and stared at him for a few seconds before turning and leaving. Luffy just blinked. Everyone turned to him. Then he stood up and put a hand to his hat as he looked down. "I guess it's time to go then." he said quietly as he looked up again.

"Aa…" agreed the guys as they also stood up.

The crew said their good byes and farewells to Lou and Kana. "It was nice meeting you, Mugiwara. Since my wife and I have lived here for so long…we've decided to stay..." said Lou as he smiled at Luffy.

"I see." replied Luffy in an expressionless gaze. Then he grinned. "Thanks for the meat, Niku-ossan!!" he exclaimed.

"Aa! Of course, I hope you all enjoy it on your journey!" exclaimed Lou. Then the crew turned and made their way back to the ship as they waved at Lou and Kana. Nami stayed quiet the entire time. Chopper and Usopp talked to one another as they walked back to the ship. As they were walking back to the ship two people stepped out in front of them. Everyone stopped and looked toward them. Then everyone but Luffy and Nami glared at them.

"What do you want?" asked Zoro.

"We…wanted to say thank you." said Hanako.

"Thank you?" asked Usopp as he rose up a brow in confusion.

"Aa…we heard from everyone about what you did…You actually helped this entire town…You freed these people. You didn't have to risk your lives for them…but you did…Also, if you hadn't of won…We would have also been trapped here." added Meji. Luffy stared at them with an expressionless gaze. Meji looked over at him. "We also wanted to apologize for insulting you…We were wrong about you…and we are sorry." he continued.

Luffy grinned at him. "Don't worry about it!" he exclaimed as he chuckled.

Both Meji and Hanako made noises of surprise. "Arigato…" said Meji quietly as he bowed. Then Hanako and Meji looked at Nami. She only stared at them wide eyed. "We also wanted to apologize for insulting you as well." he said.

Nami smiled nervously. "It's okay! I don't remember it anyways!" she said as she laughed nervously.

Both looked at her in surprise. "You've lost your memory?" asked Hanako.

"Un, what ever you might have said or done, it's forgiven! Considering you have come to apologize says enough for me!" said Nami as she smiled.

"A…arigato!" said Hanako as she bowed to Nami. Then she and Meji walked past them. Nami shrugged and kept walking. Everyone followed along behind her.

Everyone finally made it to the ship and climbed aboard. Franky was there to greet them. He had stayed to watch the ship once the supplies had been brought on board. "Yo! Are we ready to set off?" he asked.

"Un, the log pose has set." replied Nami. Then she began to bark orders for everyone to follow as they set back into the grand line. Then they heard a voice from below. Everyone looked over the side.

"Excuse me!"

Sanji's eyes showed recognition. "Ah! Tomo-chan!" he exclaimed.

"I've brought the money from the festival!" she called up.

Everyone made throaty noises. "Money from the festival?" questioned Nami. Everyone but Luffy looked at her nervously. Then suddenly, her eyes turned to bellis. "Of course! We'll take it!!" she exclaimed gleefully. Everyone fell over behind her.

Tomo climbed aboard with a briefcase. "We all felt you deserve the money anyway, since you helped to save us all. Please take it as an award as well as your right for winning the festival." she explained.

"Winning?" asked Luffy. The crew looked over at him nervously. Nami looked over at them, her face was expressionless.

"That's right…You still won." she replied.

Luffy tilted his head to the side and rose up a brow. "Arigato, Tomo-chan!" exclaimed Sanji quickly.

"Aa!" agreed Usopp as sweat beaded down his face. Luffy turned to them his face expressionless. Tomo smiled and then handed Nami the briefcase. Nami took it and smiled in return.

"Arigato gozaimasu." thanked Tomo as she bowed and then left the ship.

Nami grinned as she looked down at the briefcase. Then she opened it. "It's fifty million bellis!" she exclaimed excitedly with bellis in her eyes.

"Nice…" remarked Sanji with a smile as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"It's not a huge amount, but it will definitely do." she said as she closed it. "Alright!! Let's set sail!!" she yelled as she headed for her room. Everyone went off to do their separate jobs.

Nami walked into her room and locked away the award money. She walked back out and immediately began barking orders.

----

The crew had been sailing for a few hours. After getting the ship on course, Nami had gone back to the observation room. She had been happy about the money, but then soon she felt……After coming to the observation room, she just kind of stayed there. She hadn't really spoken to anyone since they left. She sat up straighter in her chair and stretched her arms up. She needed a break from map making. She stood up and made her way outside. She walked over to the front of the ship. She leaned on the rail and looked down. Chopper, Usopp and Luffy were playing some kind of ball game. She leaned on her hand as she watched them quietly for awhile until Chopper noticed her. "Oi, hi Nami!!" he exclaimed happily as he waved at her.

Luffy tripped up and began to hop on one foot to regain his balance. "Ah! Te Te Te!" he exclaimed as he finally regained his balance. Then he looked up at Nami and grinned. "Oh, hi Nami!!" he said loudly as he waved at her. Nami narrowed her eyes at him. Then she waved her hand once before standing up straighter and then turned and walked away. Luffy watched her leave before turning back to the others with a grin on his face.

Nami made her way back to the observation room. She walked in and just stood in the middle of the room. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the ground. She looked up and slowly made her way to her desk. She sat down and stared down at her map. "Why…?" she whispered. "Why…?" she whispered again as she glared down at her map. "Why would you do this…? I don't understand…" she continued to whisper. She lifted her pen and brought it down to the map. She stared down at her map. Then she furrowed her brows. 'Why…?' she thought to herself. She scrunched up her face and then threw her pen across the room. She put her face into her hands and took a few deep breathes.

She cried out in frustration. She sunk down until her forehead was on the desk. "Why does it bother me so much…?" she whispered. "Why do I care…?" she continued. Then she lifted up her head with her arms up on each side. She leaned her chin onto the desk as she stared at the bookcase ahead. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. "It doesn't matter…It doesn't matter…It…doesn't…matter…" she repeated over and over again to herself. Then she opened her eyes at her words. 'It doesn't matter…' She made a noise of disgust and then got up. She walked out again and made her way back on deck.

She walked over to the table and sat down next to Robin, who only looked up at her. The guys had switched games and were now sitting and playing cards. She stared at them for awhile. Sanji poked his head out of the kitchen, smiled and then disappeared back inside. Not two minutes later he waltzed out. "Nami-swaan, Robin-chwaan, I have made a delectable before dinner snack for you!!" he called in his love-love state. He pranced over to them.

Nami narrowed her eyes at the card players before turning to him and smiling. "Arigato, Sanji-kun!" she said in a cheerful voice.

Sanji looked at her in surprise. Then he smiled brightly with his love-love eyes. "Haaai, my lovely Nami-swaan!!" he exclaimed and then he waltz over to Robin. Nami turned to the card players. Just as she turned toward them, he turned away. She narrowed her eyes again and then took a sip of the tropical drink Sanji had handed her. She stared at the card players as she drank. They were all laughing. She drank the whole thing and then got up and walked off deck. She made her way back to the observation room.

She stomped inside and glared at the ground with clenched teeth. "Liar!!" she yelled.

Luffy watched Nami walk back off deck. Then Usopp's yelling about his cards brought his attention back to the game.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **I hope you all enjoyed my chapter!! XD I have to warn you…this is the second to the last chapter. I know…I kinda left it on the cliff there, huh? -.- I sowwie….Anywho, please review! I love those! They give my life meaning……please…I beg you….review! No, I'm just kidding!! HAHAHAHahahaha….REVIEW! XD


	17. Chapter 17: A Falling Out

**Author's Note: **This is it folks…my last and final chapter…Thanks for sticking with it this whole time…It meant a lot to me. I hope you all enjoyed it so far and continue to through to the end. Thanks so much for all of your reviews! They meant a great deal to me! Please…please review…I want to know what you thought of my whole story. Flames and criticism are welcome…although now I doubt they will have much meaning to me…ENJOY! XD

**The Ritual of Fire Phoenix Island**

**Chapter 17: A Falling Out and A Promise Made**

The next morning at breakfast, Nami was quiet once again. Everyone looked over at her with furrowed brows. Luffy only stared at her with an expressionless gaze. She was staring down at her plate as she ate. Sanji frowned. 'What's wrong with Nami-san…? I don't understand…She talked to me yesterday and even seemed like she was in a good mood…Now…she's quiet again…' he thought to himself. Nami only ate half of what was on her plate. She stood up and quietly walked out.

"I wonder what's wrong with Nami…?" asked Usopp with furrowed brows.

"Who knows…?" replied Zoro.

"Maybe she's still upset that she doesn't remember anything…" remarked Chopper.

"Aa…maybe…" replied Sanji as he stared at the now closed door. Luffy continued to eat as the others talked. "We can't even talk to her…She won't allow us to…" he continued.

"Aa…I hope she will be okay…" said Chopper a little sad.

"Nami will be fine."

Everyone turned to look at Luffy. "How can you be so sure?" asked Chopper.

"Because…she's Nami." he replied with a grin. Everyone looked at him with uncertain expressions. Luffy just started to eat again. Then he swallowed his food. "It doesn't matter…" Luffy immediately stopped and just stared down at his food. "It…it doesn't matter if she's lost her memory. She will be just fine. You'll see." he continued. Then he continued to eat again. Everyone looked at him slightly confused about his pausing.

Then Chopper sighed. "Aa…I guess you're right." he said quietly. Luffy looked over at him and grinned.

----

Over the next few days, Nami mostly kept to herself. She would talk every now and then to the crew, but only when she needed to. However, everyone noticed that Nami had at least talked to everyone, even if it were a few words, all except…for Luffy. She hadn't spoken a single word to him since she had woken up in Lou's house.

Luffy however, didn't seem to notice. He spent a lot of his time on Sunny's figure head. The rest of his time was spent with Usopp and Chopper, playing games. Luffy seemed completely normal, except for all the time he spent on Sunny's figure head. Every time Luffy greeted Nami, she would only look at him. Her face was always devoid of any emotion. She never really greeted any of them either. She only said what she needed to say, and that was all. The crew was really beginning to worry about her and was confused by Luffy. The only two who didn't seem to worry about her or Luffy, were Zoro…and Luffy.

Nami knew she should talk to them…However, she just…couldn't. She wasn't sure why…She just…didn't want to. She was sitting at her desk sketching one of her maps. She had been spending a lot of time in the observation room. She had gotten quite a few maps done. She was almost caught up with them. She knew they were worried about her, but…she just didn't want to talk to any of them. She felt like…being alone…She dipped her pen in the ink and continued to sketch. She knew they wanted to talk to her…about what could possibly be wrong with her. She couldn't tell them…She didn't even know herself.

'Why does it bother me so much…?' she thought to herself. She careful sketched one line after another. Luffy was taking everything well. She had noticed he didn't seem bothered at all. It bothered her that he wasn't. 'Why…?' she thought to herself as she furrowed her brows. She dipped her pen again and continued with her sketching. 'It doesn't matter……It didn't…matter…' Nami slammed her pen down. In doing so, she smeared ink across her map. "Chikushou!" she exclaimed in frustration and anger. She put her face in her hands. "It doesn't matter…" she whispered. She sighed and lifted her pen. She crumpled up the ruined map and started over.

Over the past few days, she had…noticed…things, little things. Those little things bothered her to no end. She found she couldn't concentrate like she wanted on her map making. All she could think about…were about those little things. Every time she laid eyes on them, she would become upset. This was one of the reasons…she just couldn't talk to them, any…of them…especially one in particular. At first she had thought it was true. She wasn't sure why she had said what she did…she just…had. It was a spur of the moment decision. Now, she was glad she had. If he could be okay with it, then so was she. She was sure now…it had been a lie…_He _had…lied.

She clenched the pen tightly and scowled down at her map. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much. She should just forget about it and move on...'Why can't I forget…? I want to forget…I want to forget it all…' she thought as her face turned to sadness. "I want to forget…" she whispered. What also upset her about the others is that they had lied too…'Why would they lie to me…?' she thought. "I really wish I had forgotten…I don't want to remember this…" she whispered as she laid her head down below her map.

The truth was…she remembered _everything_…She hadn't forgotten a single detail. She remembered the festival…She remembered the banquet…She remembered the dance…She remembered the ceremony…She remembered what almost happened between them……She remembered he had said…he loved her…She remembered he had said, that none of it matter…She also remembered, that he had said he had forgotten it all…It shouldn't have mattered to her. It shouldn't have mattered that he had forgotten. However…it did matter to her…It also very much mattered…that it had been a lie.

She was sure that he in fact remembers everything. It was the little things. He was usually good at hiding his emotions. Actually, he was a down right expert at it. However, she learned a great deal about him during that one night they were together. Sure, he was good at hiding what he was thinking and feeling. You can see nothing in his expression and his eyes. That is, if you didn't know what to look for…She noticed a few times…he had been…careless. She had seen it, but only a few times. She had seen it in his eyes. There were times when he would look at her. Sure his face was unreadable to the others, but she had seen it. She had seen something in his eyes. He couldn't hide from her any longer. When the others would call out her name, he would turn to her, and for a split second, she could see the raw emotion in his eyes. Then he would grin stupidly at her.

She hated it…she hated it so much. Why did he lie…? Why did she care…? There were other times when she would catch some things from him. She knew he had lied. She was also sure he knew. He knew…that she knew. Yet, he was still keeping the truth from her. "Why…?" she whispered. "Why does it bother me…?" she continued. "I have to know…I have to make him admit the truth…" she whispered. It was tearing her up inside. She could feel the anger building inside her. 'How can he be so…nonchalant about this…?' she thought. She lifted her head from her desk. She narrowed her eyes. 'When we land…some how…I have to get him to tell me the truth. I just have to…It's bothering me way too much…' she thought to herself. She nodded in satisfaction. She lifted her pen. She could concentrate now that she decided.

----

The next day, the crew made it to the next island, Osani Island. Luffy hopped onto the rail and stared out with a huge grin on his face. "Suge!" he exclaimed. Then he looked to his left at the expanse of wilderness next to the large town. "I want to go explore there first!" he exclaimed as he pointed to the wilderness. He was about to jump off when a hand shot out and grabbed his vest. He made a noise of surprise and then turned to look into the face of the person who grabbed him. Nami had her head lowered, she looked up. Luffy looked down at her with slightly wide eyes.

Everyone else also looked at her in surprise. "We'll go together…" she said quietly before climbing off and down the rope ladder. Luffy grinned and chuckled and then followed her down. As soon as everyone made it down, Luffy began to run towards the wilderness, everyone following along behind him. He, Chopper, and Usopp ran ahead just explore every corner and under every rock they could find. They laughed and talked as they went. Everyone else just followed along behind them.

Sanji and Robin looked over at Nami. She was watching Luffy. They furrowed their brows in slight confusion. What she just said on the ship, were the first words she had spoken to Luffy since she had first woken up and that had been two weeks ago. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper came to a small river. They were all excited and talking away about its beauty and how cool it was. There was a large rock beside the creek. Luffy jumped up and on and looked around. Usopp tried his best to climb up the rock as well. Luffy reached down to help him up, while Chopper pushed him up from below. Everyone else just gathered around to take in the beauty. Zoro sat next to a tree and leaned against it for a nap, knowing they would be here for awhile.

Nami walked up next to the river. She kneeled down and dipped her hand in the icy water. She could hear the three being loud behind her. She turned as she knelt and looked up. All three had made it up the large rock and were making a fuss about who was king of the rock. Luffy was yelling that he had made it up first. Usopp was complaining that Luffy would be King of the Pirates one day and all he asked was to be king of the rock. Chopper had the same complaint. Nami closed her eyes. She turned back around and looked into the water. She could hear Sanji now yelling at them for being so noisy and the three yelling at him for getting after them. They were in the wilderness and could be as noisy as they wanted. She stared at her unstable reflection in the water.

Robin walked up next to her. "It's beautiful…is it not?" she asked quietly.

"Un…it is beautiful." whispered Nami.

"Navigator-san…" called Robin.

"Hmm?" questioned Nami as she turned to Robin.

Robin was looking straight ahead. "You seem so melancholy…I know that you haven't wanted to talk about it…However, we are worried about you. Just tell me…is it something we should worry about? Will you be okay after awhile?" she asked as she looked over at Nami.

Nami smiled warmly at Robin. "No…it's nothing you should worry about…I will be fine…I just need…some time…" she replied.

Robin smiled gently at her before turning and examining a rather old looking tree. Nami turned back toward the rock. Luffy was looking right down at her. Then suddenly, he turned toward the other two. Nami narrowed her eyes at his back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

After awhile, the group moved on. Luffy was complaining about being hungry. They found their way back into town and stopped somewhere to eat for lunch. Luffy ate in his usually manner and fought with the guys over food. Nami only ate half of what was on her plate. "Oi, Nami! Are you going to eat all of that?!" asked Luffy with a mouth full of food.

"Don't ask Nami-san for her food, Baka!!" yelled Sanji angrily. Nami just pushed her plate forward without saying a word. Luffy looked at her wide eyed in surprise before grinning and taking her plate. Nami watched him as he ate while she leaned on her hand. Her face was completely devoid of emotion again. Sanji looked at her with furrowed brows. 'I wonder what's eating at Nami-san…?' he thought to himself.

After lunch, everyone began to walk around town. Nami stared at all the buildings they walked past. After awhile, everyone decided to split up. "I want to see about this island's spices and different foods." said Sanji as he waved and disappeared into the crowd.

"I want to see if I can find new things to make ammo for my sling shot." said Usopp as he ran off. 

"I want to know about this island's history." said Robin with a warm smile and then she was gone.

"I'm going back into the wilderness for more training." said Zoro as he took off in the wrong direction. Nami just watched him go not really caring.

Franky just shrugged and walked off. Nami turned to the only two left. They were both staring at her. Then suddenly, Luffy grinned down at Chopper. "Oi, let's see if we can't find something fun to do!!" he exclaimed.

Chopper grinned up at him. "Aa!" he exclaimed with a nod and then they took off running. Nami stared after them. She sighed to herself and headed in the same direction. She followed them through the crowd without them noticing her. She watched as they ran into a shop full of strange things. She turned to her left. There was a clothing store. Now was the time. She went inside, grabbed a few things quickly. Things she liked at least and paid for them. She ran out and made sure they were still inside. They were. Both had silly grins as an ossan inside was showing them different things.

She waited outside and watched them from the corner of her eye. As soon as they both ran out, she followed them again. She followed them to an ice cream parlor. Both bought a cone each, piled high with different flavors. A smile slowly began to play on her lips. When they were just about finished eating their ice cream, apparently Luffy made it a competition to see who could eat who's faster. She watched as they both suffered from brain freeze. The smile became wider. 'Now's the time to make my move.' she thought as she began to walk forward. Just as she reached them, Luffy had thrown the last bit of cone in his mouth. Chopper was looking up at him with a frown. He still had some of his left.

Then Chopper looked over and spotted Nami approaching. "Oi, hi Nami!!" he exclaimed. Nami's eyes immediately shifted to Luffy. Luffy looked over quickly toward where Chopper was looking…too quickly. Then he tried to fix his mistake by grinning.

"Oi, hi Nami!!" he exclaimed as he waved at her. Nami's smile turned smug. She noticed his grin get smaller. She wanted to laugh. She didn't.

"Hey, I needed some help with something! Do you guys mind helping me out?! I can't decide which swimsuit to go with! I could really use your opinions." she said with a fake uncertain smile.

Chopper's grin widened. "Really?! You need our h…"

"Chopper and I were just about to go to the toy shop the ice cream-ossan told us about!" exclaimed Luffy. He looked nervous for some unknown reason.

Nami's smug smile widened as she stared at him. Chopper looked up at Luffy slightly confused. "Aww, come on……You aren't…afraid of me……are you…Luffy?" she asked in a low menacing voice. Luffy made a noise of disbelief as his eyes grew large. Sweat began to bead down his face. Chopper looked from Luffy to Nami and then back to Luffy. He looked extremely confused now. "Come on! It won't take long!" she said as she grabbed his hand and began dragging him along. Chopper watched after the two and then began to follow.

Nami could feel the hesitation in his step. Her smile grew wider. 'Got you!' she thought to herself. She led them both to the same clothing store. When she had come in earlier, she had quickly looked through the swim suits. She found the perfect one to test her theory on. She had bought a few things to make it seem like she had actually been shopping. She was sure that Luffy's instincts had kicked in the moment she had asked for help. She knew he wasn't stupid. He had known it was a trap. He had made an attempt to escape. However, she was no fool either. She knew if she forced it on him, he wouldn't say no. She had to challenge him. He knew he was stuck the moment those words had come out of her mouth. '"You aren't afraid…are you…Luffy?"' She had to keep herself from grinning. They were the same words she had used while they had shared a bath. Those words also let him know that she knew. She knew everything and so did he.

She walked into the store dragging him along behind her. She felt a slight tug from his hesitation to enter the store. Also she could feel the clamminess of his hand. She felt a rush of excitement. She had him…and he knew it. She dragged him to the swimsuits. She released his hand. She noticed him step back from the corner of her eye. She shifted through the swimsuits, playing it off. She heard Chopper walk up next to Luffy. She found the one. She pulled it out. 

"What do you guys think of this one?" she asked innocently. She saw Luffy's eyes grow large and immediately go back to normal size. It was done so quickly that if you hadn't been looking for a reaction, you would have missed it. She had to try not to smile wider.

Chopper stared up at the swimsuit. He looked up at Luffy, and then back to Nami. He could sense something emitting from the two…Something he didn't understand. Something…he wasn't familiar with. He could sense Luffy's uneasiness, but why was he uneasy? He could also sense something else from Nami…Something…he did _not_ like…Chopper frowned. He looked back up at Luffy. Luffy was staring at Nami with furrowed brows. Then his eyes shifted to the swimsuit.

Suddenly, Luffy grinned. "I don't like it." he said. Chopper looked over at Nami. Her smile widened.

"Why not?" she asked quietly. Chopper looked back at Luffy.

Luffy turned to the clothes rack. "You said you wanted help, right?" he asked. Then he pulled out a different swimsuit. It was a one piece. Chopper looked at the one Nami was holding up. It was a two piece. However, it was _very_…small. It had very little cloth. It wouldn't cover up much of anything. Chopper looked back up at Luffy's one piece. "How about this one?!" exclaimed Luffy with his grin as he showed it to Nami. Chopper turned back to Nami. Nami's smile grew slowly.

"You like that one… Luffy?" she asked quietly. Chopper looked back up at Luffy.

"Aa!" he replied with a nod as he grinned.

"Why?" she asked. Luffy only stared at her. His smile began to fade, but he said nothing. Chopper looked back at Nami. By now he was extremely confused. 'What's going on?' he thought to himself. "I think I like this one more…" she said quietly as she shifted her eyes over at the two piece. "I think I will try it on." she continued as she looked over at Luffy with just her eyes. Then she smiled slowly.

Chopper looked back at Luffy. Suddenly, Luffy's aura fluctuated. Chopper sensed something different emitting from him. Chopper furrowed his brows. Luffy was staring at Nami with an expressionless face. He slowly turned and put the one piece back on the rack. Then he turned back to Nami. His expression seemed hard even though it was expressionless. "Are you sure you want to wear that around the ship?" he asked in a quiet voice. Chopper's brows furrowed deeper.

"Why wouldn't I?" asked Nami.

"I guess you didn't really need our help after all…It would seem you already decided before we came…" he replied quietly. Chopper started to feel worried. He didn't like the aura emitting from either of them. It gave him goose bumps.

"I just wanted your opinion…" said Nami.

"I already gave it to you…" he replied quietly. Chopper looked from one to the other. 'What's going on?!' he thought to himself again, but he was too afraid to ask.

"Let me try it on! I still want your opinion on it." she said. Chopper looked up at Luffy. Luffy's eyes slightly narrowed. Then he turned away from her. Chopper watched as he walked over to a chair and sat down. He leaned back over the chair and stared up at the ceiling. Chopper looked back up at Nami. She was smiling menacingly toward Luffy. "I'll be right back." she said and turned and walked into a doorway. Chopper turned and walked toward Luffy. He sat down in a chair next to Luffy.

Luffy began to fidget. He began to bob his leg up and down. Chopper looked up at him. His brows were furrowed and sweat was beading down his face. He could feel Luffy's anxiety and restlessness. He turned towards the dressing rooms. 'I don't understand…' he thought to himself.

After awhile, Nami came out of the dressing room. Chopper's eyes widened and a blush crept up his cheeks. He looked up at Luffy uncertain. Luffy was staring at Nami with deeply furrowed brows. Chopper was uncertain about Luffy's expression. He looked extremely unhappy. 'Why would Luffy be unhappy…?' he thought to himself. "So, what do you think?" asked Nami as she spun in a circle. Blood rushed to Chopper's head. He covered his nose. He looked up at Luffy. Luffy looked furious. Chopper looked at him in surprise, the blood draining. 'Why is Luffy…?' he thought.

"I don't like it…" Luffy had spoken in a very quiet voice. Chopper shivered. There was something in Luffy's voice that almost sounded…dangerous.

Her expression turned to anger. "Why _not…_Luffy?" she asked. Luffy only stared at her. Chopper looked from one to the other. He was very worried now.

"If you really feel comfortable wearing that around the ship…then it doesn't matter to me…" said Luffy in a nonchalant voice. He stood up turning his back to Nami. "It doesn't matter why I don't like it…" he continued as he began to walk away.

"Oh but it _does_ matter!!! YOU LIAR!!" yelled Nami. Luffy stopped walking. Chopper's eyes grew large at Nami's exclamation. Then he quickly turned to Luffy. 'Liar?!' he thought to himself. The few people that were in the store were now staring at them.

"Why did you lie?!" she asked in an angry tone.

"It doesn't matter…" he replied quietly. Chopper's eyes grew larger.

"Doesn't…matter…? DOESN'T MATTER?!" she yelled in anger. Then she began to laugh a less than pleasant, mirthless laugh. "Now…where have I heard that before?!" she said in an unpleasant voice. Luffy slowly turned around. His expression was unreadable. "You had told me…it didn't matter…Well apparently it did matter!!" she continued. Luffy just continued to stare at her.

"Nami…you've got it wrong…" he said quietly.

"Oh do I now?! Why did you lie Luffy?!" she asked.

"It doesn't matter…" he replied.

Nami clenched her teeth in anger. "Stop…saying that!!" she yelled as she brought her hands to her head.

Chopper looked from one to the other. "Luffy…lied…?" he whispered to himself.

"Why did you lie?! How can you pretend that none of it happened?! How can you go on like you normally do knowing all of that?! It sure bothered the hell out of me!! I couldn't possibly forget any of it!!!!!" she yelled in anger. Then her face relaxed. "Or maybe you just wanted to forget…to pretend it never happened…" she continued in a whisper.

"No, that's not it!" he exclaimed.

"Wasn't it?! Because it seems that way to me!! You wanted to forget about it and pretend it never happened! It's easier to pretend that you had lost your memory so you could move on!! So you wouldn't have to deal with it! Sure saves you a hell of a lot of trouble, doesn't it?!" she yelled.

"You're wrong Nami!!" he yelled.

"Okay then explain it to me Luffy!!" she yelled. He only stared at her. Chopper was very worried. 'So then…they actually remembered everything?! They had both lied about losing their memory? But why…why would they do that?!' he thought to himself.

----

Robin made her way to the town book store. She walked inside and looked at all the old and dusty books. She smiled. She loved the smell of old paper and leather. She walked around and began to skim the binders of each book. One caught her eye. It read 'The history of Shikazan Island'. She narrowed her eyes. She lifted up the book and looked at the cover. The book seemed very old. She had seen this name somewhere before. She opened the book and began to read. She skipped a few pages and continued to read. She gasped as she stared down at the page wide eyed. She quickly turned and walked to the young woman behind the counter.

"I want to buy this book!" she exclaimed.

The girl looked up at her. Then she looked at the book. "Oh…that's an old one…Some say that island no longer exists." she said as she took the book from Robin.

Robin smiled. "Oh…it exists…" she said quietly. The girl looked up at her in surprise.

Robin paid for the book and quickly walked out. She had to find them.

----

Luffy only continued to stare at Nami. She scoffed. "That's what I thought…The drug wore off so let's forget the whole thing. Matakun…I don't even know why I even care!!" she yelled as she brought her hand to her forehead. '"_Aa…I love you too…Nami…_'" She brought both her hands to her head. None of it had been real. Once the drug wore off…they had returned to normal…Those feelings…were gone…All that was left…were the bitter memories. She unfortunately remembered everything she had felt. Only now…she didn't really feel that way…and for some reason…it made her feel angry. She remembered how happy hearing him say those words had felt. Now…it was a hollow lie…She felt hollow…The hole was completely empty…It felt…horrible…She hated it…She wanted to cry…and she could only blame him…She couldn't do much else.

She looked up at him. She hated it…"Why won't you say anything?" she asked in a low voice.

Luffy furrowed his brows. He knew that right now…she wouldn't believe him if he told her. He kind of understood how she felt. The moment he had awoken, he had searched for her. However, as soon as he found her…he felt hollow…Like someone had torn out his heart. He felt…nothing…The hole…it was now empty. "You're right…I only wanted to forget…" he said softly. He was lying…again…Why? It was like…what happened to them…left them scarred…It felt horrible…

Nami looked at him with a pained expression. He was lying again…"I hate you…" she whispered…It hurt inside…She was torn…inside…Luffy's eyes widened slowly as his lips parted. Chopper stared at Nami in disbelief. Then Nami turned and looked to Luffy's left. Robin was standing there, and her eyes were wide. Nami slowly closed her eyes and turned and walked back into the dressing room.

She quickly and violently took off the swimsuit and put her clothes back on. She felt worse…much worse. She was supposed to feel better. However, finding out that he did lie made her feel much…much worse. Luffy never lied to any of them…She hated this…She was still…angry with him. Her anger hadn't died down. Not even a little bit. She hated him…She didn't know why…She felt tears sting her eyes.

Luffy slowly turned to Robin. His expression was slightly pained. Robin was staring at the dressing room door way with wide eyes. Then she shifted her eyes to Luffy. 'What's going on…?' she thought to herself. She was confused. She had walked up just as Nami had said those horrible words. Luffy turned away from her and looked back at the door way. Robin turned to Chopper who was looking back at her. He looked on the verge of tears. She looked up just as Nami stepped out. Nami looked right at her.

"Why did you come here?" she asked quietly.

"I…I was looking for you…for both of you…" she replied.

"Well…you found us…" said Nami in a bitter tone.

Robin frowned. "I wanted to show you what I found out." she said quietly.

"Alright, what did you find out?" asked Nami. Luffy finally turned to Robin.

"I found a book in the book store here…It's called The History of Shikazan Island." she explained.

"What about it…? I've never heard of this island…Why is this important…?" asked Nami.

"There's a very interesting page in here…It mentions about a festival…from over four hundred years ago." she explained.

"A…festival…?" questioned Nami with furrowed brows.

"Ee…this island has a large volcano on it…Hence the name Shikazan…Rising Volcano…" she said.

Nami's eyes went a little wide. "Volcano…?" she whispered.

Luffy looked towards Nami in confusion. Then he turned back to Robin. "Ee…The festival was created by a man who loved to dance…He fell in love with a beautiful woman…He taught her how to dance…and soon, she fell in love with him. They both loved to dance together so much…that they…created a festival in which…they could be married, by way of dancing…" explained Robin. By now, Nami's eyes were large and so were Luffy's. Both were staring at Robin in disbelief. "You see…the island we were on…used to be known as Shikazan Island…The festival…was real…The marriage….was real…Navigator-san…Senchou-san……you're still married…." she said.

Nami's eyes were extremely large as sweat beaded down her face. Then her face changed to anger. "Not if I can help it…" she whispered. Luffy quickly turned to her. Nami began walking towards them.

"Oi, Nami…what are you going to do?" he asked as she walked by. He reached out and grabbed her arm. "Nami!" he exclaimed.

Nami yanked her arm from his grasp. "Ending this once and for all…" she said before walking out the door.

Luffy made a throaty noise as he furrowed his brows. Then he ran out the door. Chopper and Robin looked out after them. Robin turned to Chopper. "I guess this was bad timing…" she said quietly with a nervous smile. Chopper frowned before jumping down and running after them, Robin following. "What happened?" she asked as they ran after the two. Chopper had turned into walking point. He furrowed his brows.

Nami noticed Luffy chasing her. She broke into a run to keep him from catching her. "NAMI!!" he yelled from behind her. She felt tears sting her eyes. 'I hate this…I hate it…' she thought to herself as she kept running.

"NAMI!!" yelled Luffy again. He didn't know what she was planning on doing. However, he had a bad feeling. "NAMI!!" he yelled again. "MATTE!" he continued.

----

Usopp turned a corner and almost ran into someone. "Oh excuse…Oh, it's you Zoro…" he said as he looked up at the person.

"Oi, Usopp…I can't find the wilderness…" he said as he scratched his head.

"The wilderness…That's a long way away…" said Usopp with a raised brow.

"O-i!" they both heard. They turned to see Franky and Sanji walking towards them. Franky was waving at them.

"Oi, what are you guys doing?" asked Sanji.

"Zoro got lost and I ran into him…" replied Usopp.

Zoro looked over at him with a scowl. "I'm not lost!!" he yelled. Usopp narrowed his eyes as he turned them to look at him.

"NAMI!! MATTE!!!" they all turned at hearing the yell.

"Luffy?" questioned Sanji. Suddenly, Nami ran past them almost knocking Sanji and Usopp over. "OI, Nami-san!!" yelled Sanji in confusion. Then Luffy ran past them, ignoring them.

"NAMI!!!" he yelled again.

"What the hell?!" yelled Zoro. Suddenly, Robin and Chopper approached them. The guys all began to run with them. "What the hells is going on?!" he yelled at them.

"Bad timing…?" replied Robin with a nervous smile. Everyone looked at her in confusion. She and Chopper began to explain what they had witnessed as they ran.

"NANI?!" they all yelled.

"You mean…they're still married?!" yelled Sanji.

"So they actually remember everything?! They lied?!" yelled Zoro.

"Aa…" replied Chopper sadly.

"So they had an argument?" asked Franky.

"Aa…I think I was dead wrong about the drug…I thought they would be fine after it wore off…but I was wrong…I think it's worse now that it did…If they remember everything that happened…It might make them feel…uncomfortable around each other…Also…Nami…she seemed so sad…and so angry…It's almost like…she's a shell of her former self…Those memories…of whatever might have happened between them…I'm not sure that either of them is actually okay…Luffy actually lied to us…Something isn't right…" explained Chopper.

"Do you think it's a side effect from the drug?" asked Sanji.

"I…I don't know…I'm pretty sure the drug is completely out of their system…I think it has something to do with what happened between them…I think…I think it's an emotional thing…Nami seemed like she was in a lot of pain…When she had first woken up…She seemed so empty…Maybe there is an after effect…but it's not because the drug is in their system…I think I was wrong as far as how far their feelings had gone…" he explained. Everyone furrowed their brows at his explanation as they continued to chase the two. They could still hear Luffy's attempts to stop Nami.

"Where do you think Nami-san is going?" asked Sanji.

"We don't know…However, what she said…worries me…" replied Chopper.

"Ee…" added Robin in concern.

"NAMI!!" yelled Luffy. However, no matter how many times he called to her. She continued to run. Luffy tried his best not to knock over any villagers.

Nami continued to run. 'Where is it?! I know I saw it when we first walked around town together!' she thought to herself. Then she saw it. The building she was looking for. She ran up to it and looked up at it. 'Judicial Courthouse'. She frowned. She felt her stomach drop. 'At least…they are impartial to pirates here…' she thought to herself. "NAMI!! MATTE!!" Nami quickly turned to see Luffy running towards her. She turned and ran inside. She ran to the receptionist behind the desk.

"Where can I go to void a marriage?!" she almost yelled at the woman. The woman looked at her in surprised confusion before pointing to the left. Nami turned to see Luffy burst inside. She turned and began running down the hall.

"NAMI!!" he yelled as he ran after her.

The woman watched after the two wide eyed. "Suge…talk about marital problems…They must have been really drunk…" she whispered to herself. Suddenly, more people burst in. She looked over at them in surprise.

"Where did the two go who just burst in here?!" a blonde man asked. She pointed to the left with wide eyes.

"Arigato!" he exclaimed as they all took off to the left. The blonde man stopped and turned back to her. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. She looked up at the handsome man with wide eyes. Then the man with green hair grabbed the blonde man and began to drag him away as the blonde man cursed at him.

"What a wild group of people…" she whispered to herself. Then she shrugged and continued working.

Nami burst through two large wooden doors. She quickly made her way to the old man sitting on a high pedestal. "How can I help you young lady?" asked the old man. "However, I'm not sure I can help you though…" he started. Suddenly, a second person burst in the door. The old man looked up at the young man standing in the door way. "Now…I can help…" he said quietly.

Luffy looked ahead of him. He was breathing heavily. His brows were furrowed. Then he realized what she had meant. He made a throaty noise as he straightened up. Nami was standing in front of the old man. He slowed his breathing as he furrowed his brows deeper. He closed his eyes slowly and took a deep breath. He opened them and slowly made his way over to them. He stopped just in front of the old man and looked up at him with his furrowed brows. He was standing some distance away from Nami.

The old man sighed. "So young…" he whispered as he closed his eyes.

Suddenly, more people burst through the door. "Nami-san!!" a blonde man exclaimed.

"Oi, what the hell are you guys doing?!" yelled the green haired man.

Nami stared up at the old man. "I want to void a marriage." she said.

Everyone made throaty noises in disbelief at what she just said. Luffy slowly closed his eyes and took another deep breath.

"Oi…Nami-san…are you serious?! I mean…" Sanji started to say. Then his expression turned worried.

"Nami…" whispered Chopper.

Luffy opened his eyes and looked up at the old man. The old man looked down at him. "Is this what you both want?" he asked Luffy. Nami looked over at Luffy.

"Aa." replied Luffy without any hesitation. Nami was a little surprised. Then she turned back to the old man.

The old man looked back at her. Everyone looked at Luffy in shock. "Oi…Luffy…" whispered Usopp.

Chopper began to tear up. "This is bad…" he whispered.

"Aa…" agreed Zoro as he furrowed his brows at the two.

The old man sighed again. "Very well…How long have you been married?" he asked quietly.

"Two weeks…" she replied. He nodded.

He put on a pair of small round spectacles and began to flip through a very large and very old book. He found the page he was looking for and then turned to Luffy. "What is your name, son?" asked the old man.

"Monkey D. Luffy." replied Luffy.

"Alright, repeat after me…" he said. Luffy nodded. "I, Monkey D. Luffy, here by void and nullify my marriage." he said. Nami looked over at Luffy with furrowed brows.

"I, Monkey D. Luffy, here by void and nullify my marriage." he repeated without any hesitation what so ever. 'It hurts…it hurts a lot…but why does it hurt?' thought Nami as she stared at Luffy. She could feel tears sting her eyes. 'This is what I want…right?' she thought as she looked down.

"Due to reasons the marriage cannot work." said the old man.

"Due to reasons the marriage cannot work." repeated Luffy in a low voice, still with no hesitation.

Nami could feel her heart sinking at every word he spoke. "I hereby declare this marriage annulled." said the old man.

"I hereby declare this marriage annulled." repeated Luffy in his low voice, and no hesitation.

The old man nodded and then turned to Nami. "What is your name young lady?" asked the old man.

"Nami…" she replied quietly.

The old man nodded again. "I, Nami, hereby void and nullify my marriage." he said.

"I, Nami…hereby void and nullify…" she started to say. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt sick again. The old man closed his eyes and sighed. 'I can do this!' she thought to herself. 'If he can do it without caring, than so can I!' she yelled in her mind. She opened her eyes. Luffy slowly turned to her. She looked over at him. He was staring at her so intensely. She felt sick again. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes once again. She turned away. 'What is wrong with me?!!!' she yelled in her mind as she closed her eyes tightly.

"Nami…"

Nami-san…"

Everyone looked at Nami in concern. Zoro only looked on with furrowed brows.

The old man sighed again. "Listen…how about you come back in three hours once you've made your decision, I will be here." he said as he closed his book and stood up. Nami's eyes flew open and quickly looked up. Mat…te…" she started. She felt the tears threatening to spill over. 'What is wrong with me…?' she thought in her mind. She slowly turned to Luffy. He was staring back at her with furrowed brows. She stared back at him as the tears began to flow down her face. His eyes didn't change…They showed no pity…no remorse…they were empty…just like her…She turned and ran out of the room.

"Oi, Nami-san!!" called Sanji as she ran past. Then everyone turned to Luffy. He was still standing facing in the direction Nami had been standing. His shoulders seemed to droop.

"Oi, Luffy…" called Usopp in concern. They watched as he lowered his head slowly. Then he slowly turned and began to walk down the isle. He didn't stop. With his eyes concealed under his hat, he continued walking right out of the door. Everyone watched as the door closed. They all had furrowed brows in concern, or sad expressions.

----

Nami continued running…she wasn't even sure where she was going. The tears just kept falling. She bumped into a few villagers. Some of them asked if she were okay, others yelled at her to watch where she was going. She began to gasp for air as she continued to cry. She finally stopped running as she entered an alleyway and leaned against a building. She brought her hands to her face as she slid down the wall. She cried loudly into her hands. "I hate this..." she whispered. 'I don't understand…What's wrong with me?!' she thought to herself. The emptiness was beginning to engulf her in its nothingness. 'It's so painful…It hurts so much…' she thought to herself as she continued to cry. 'Why did this happen…? It was her fault…It was all her fault…If her greed hadn't…Even though it was supposedly over with…her mistake was still causing them pain…Even though the drug was gone…she still felt like this. They were still paying for her stupid mistake…

She removed her hands and looked up to the sky as the tears streamed down her face. 'I don't like this…How did this happen to me…?' she thought. She felt so hollow. She continued to stare up into the sky.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there…She only knew it had been a long time. About an hour or two maybe…She had only been thinking the entire time she had sat there. The tears had dried up long before. After awhile, she slowly stood up. "I have to find him…It's not his fault…" she whispered as she began to slowly make her way to the ship. She had been wrong. She had been unfair. Luffy didn't deserve what she was doing to him. She had been angry and hurt…and empty…She hadn't known how to react…However, she knew that she had reacted badly. She had been blinded. She was sure Luffy had a perfectly good reason for what he did. Luffy would never hurt her…She had to ask…This time…she would listen.

She eventually made her way back to the ship. She made her way up the rope ladder and climbed aboard. Everyone quickly looked up at her. Sanji immediately approached her. "Nami-san, are you alright?" he asked with a concerned expression.

Nami looked around. She didn't see him. "Where's Luffy?" she asked quietly.

Sanji looked at her in surprise, as did everyone else. Zoro only opened his eyes and looked at her with furrowed brows. Sanji's expression turned sad. "Nami-san…" he said quietly.

"I need to find him…Is he here?" she asked not looking him in the eyes.

Sanji sighed. "No…he never came back to the ship…" he replied quietly. "Do you want us to help you look for him…?" he asked.

"No…I'll do it myself…" she replied as she turned to leave the ship.

"Nami-san, matte!" said Sanji as he turned and ran off. Nami turned and watched after him in confusion. He ran into the kitchen. Ten minutes later he came out with a basket. He handed it to Nami. "He…might be hungry…" he said as he looked down. Nami looked up at him with slightly wide eyes. She looked down at the basket. She nodded and then left the ship. Everyone watched her go with sad expressions. Zoro only closed his eyes again.

Nami slowly walked away from the ship. 'Where would he go…?' she thought to herself as she looked around. She looked toward town. Then she turned and looked toward the wilderness. She began to walk towards the wilderness. She had a feeling…she knew where he was…She continued walking. She knew it would take her awhile to reach it, maybe about an hour. After awhile, she could hear the water flowing. She closed her eyes. The sound of the water made her remember the time they had shared a bath. She slowly opened her eyes. She continued walking until the large rock came into view. She looked up. Luffy was sitting at the very top, facing the water. He quickly turned at hearing her approach. At seeing her, he slowly turned back to the water.

Nami approached the rock and stopped. She stared up at him. "I…I brought some food…" she said quietly.

"I'm not hungry…" he replied.

Nami frowned. His voice sounded so empty. She sighed. He had every right to be angry with her. She had been stupid. She also realized he probably felt just like she did. She set the basket down and opened it. She took out a blanket Sanji had packed with the dinner. She spread it out and laid it on the ground. She knelt down and began to remove the contents inside. Luffy turned and looked down at her. She removed everything that had been inside. It had been a very large basket. She wasn't even sure how she had carried it. She had never even noticed its weight the whole time she had carried it.

She closed the basket and set it aside. She sat down on her knees on the blanket and began to look at everything. Sanji had packed wine with all the food. She looked down at a particular plate of food. She reached over and grabbed a fork. She dipped the fork into the food and began to eat. She knew Luffy was watching her. She scooped up more of the food. She decided to try something else. Then she reached over and grabbed a piece of meat. She began to eat it slowly. "Mmm…" she hummed as she chewed. "This is really good…" she said.

She didn't dare to look up. She heard movement. She had to try really hard not to look up or smile. She heard something land near her and then she heard foot steps. A very small smile played on her lips as she continued to chew. She heard as he walked behind her. She became worried. 'Was he leaving?!' she thought. She had to try her hardest not to look. She closed her eyes. 'Please don't go, Luffy!' she pleaded in her mind. Suddenly, she heard as something plopped down a little ways away from her on her other side. She looked over. Luffy had sat down on the other side of the blanket. He was staring at her with furrowed brows.

She smiled in her mind and then looked away. She continued to eat. After awhile, she noticed movement from the corner of her eye. She looked back over at him. She watched as he slowly reached for the food. 'That's it…Luffy…' she thought to herself. He finally began to eat. She smiled this time. His eyes were concealed as he ate. Nami reached for the wine and poured some for both of them. She leaned forward and carefully set one down near him. She watched as he stopped eating and slightly lifted his head to look at the drink. However, his eyes were still concealed. He stared at it for awhile before finally reaching for it.

She picked up hers and took a sip. She watched him as he brought it to his lips and drank the whole thing. She lowered her cup. She continued to watch him as he set down the cup and then slid it towards her. He let it go and sat back, all without lifting his head. She smiled as she grabbed the bottle and poured him some more. She sat back and watched as he reached out for it. She continued to watch him. She felt something stir inside of her. She reached over and then continued to eat. Once she was done eating, she only watched him as he ate. After watching him for awhile, she stood up and slowly made her way over to him. He paused in his eating and slightly lifted his head, but not enough for her to see his eyes. When she was only a few feet away from him, she sat down. He stayed in that same position, unmoving.

Nami took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Then she opened them. "Luffy…I'm sorry…" she said. Luffy lifted his head and looked into her eyes. "I acted horribly…I never should have done what I did…None of this is your fault…I had no right to blame you for it…" she said quietly. He stayed quiet and only stared at her. She looked away from him and looked toward the water. "What happened…back on that island…happened…and there's nothing either of us can do about it…The things we…" she felt her voice break. She took another deep breath. "The things we said…we…we didn't mean them…and there's nothing we can do about that either…You were right to try and forget it…" she continued.

She noticed him look away from the corner of her eye. She looked over at him. He was looking toward the water with furrowed brows. "Luffy…why did you lie?" she whispered.

Luffy turned to look at her. He could see in her eyes that she really and truly wanted to know. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them and looked into her eyes. "I did it for you…" he said quietly.

Nami made a throaty noise in surprise as her eyes widened. "Na…nani?" she whispered. She hadn't expected that answer.

He looked back toward the water. "When I first woke up and frantically searched for you, I saw you next to me and I was relieved. However, I immediately realized…something wasn't right. I also realized…I felt different…I didn't feel…like how I did…before…However…I remembered…_everything_…It didn't feel right…I didn't feel right…I thought to myself…When she wakes up…she's going to feel this way…I didn't…I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable…I didn't want you to feel the way I did…So…I told them that I had forgotten…I forgot…so that you could forget…If you wanted to forget it ever happened, and move on…I was okay with that…I didn't want you to be uncomfortable…When you asked for the annulment…I thought that was what you wanted…I thought to myself…If this is what she wants…then I will do it…" he explained quietly.

Nami stared at him in wide eyed disbelief. He had done it for her…Everything had been for her…'Only thinking about others…He was always only thinking about others…He was only thinking about me…' she thought as tears formed in her eyes. "Luffy…what about you…?" she asked him out loud.

He turned and looked at her. "I would have been happy…if you were happy…" he replied quietly.

"Luffy…" she whispered as the tears threatened to overflow.

Luffy looked away again. "However…I never expected you to…" he started to say.

"Luffy, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as the tears overflowed. Luffy turned to her. "I'm such a horrible person! During this whole ordeal, all I have ever done is blame you, get you into a horrible mess that you had to get me out of…and treat you so horribly! I dragged you down with me to the depths of hell and you willingly followed!! No matter how badly I treated you, no matter what I dragged you down,…or whatever horrible things I ever said to you…all you ever thought about was me!! You're such a good person…I'm such a horrible person…I only thought about myself!! If anything I don't deserve someone like you! I'm so sorry….I'm so sorry, Luffy!!" she exclaimed as she cried. She felt like the lowest thing on the planet. She stood up and turned to leave. However, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Nami, matte!" yelled Luffy. Nami had her back turned to him. Luffy had quickly crawled over to grab her. He stood up and walked up to her. She couldn't look at him. She felt so horrible…She was an awful person. "Nami…you're not a horrible person…" he said softly. "It's okay…" he continued softly.

"No it's not!!" she exclaimed as she turned to him. "Luffy, it's not okay! What I did to you…you can't just forgive so easily!" she exclaimed as the tears streamed down her face.

"But I just did…" he replied quietly.

Nami stared up at him in disbelief. Then she slowly began to shake her head. "No…Luffy…I betrayed you…Luffy…I betrayed your trust…I didn't believe in you…You deserve my faith in you…I said I trusted you…but I didn't when I should have…That's unforgivable…" she whispered as her face turned pained. She lowered her head and brought a hand to her mouth.

"You do trust me…Nami…" he said quietly.

Nami looked up at him quickly with wide eyes as she lowered her hand. Then she furrowed her brows. "I doubted you…Luffy…That's not trust…" she whispered.

"I believe in you…I believe in your trust." he said.

Nami stared up at him wide eyed. "Luffy…how can you say that?!" she asked.

He smiled. "Because…I can…and because I do…" he replied. Then he released his hold on her. "What I said to you…on that island…when I said, that it didn't matter, Nami that wasn't a lie. You still are and always will be my precious Nakama…All of you are. You all mean everything to me…" he said.

Nami stared up at him with wide eyes. He was right…Nothing had changed…They were and always will be Nakama…They still had their dreams to fulfill. He still cared about her. She felt herself smile. "Luffy, I promise…that I will never betray your trust again…You're right. We are Nakama…and always will be. We still have our dreams. How about we call this a minor setback and move on?" she said.

Luffy grinned at her and nodded. "Aa!" he exclaimed as he chuckled.

Then Nami's smile disappeared. She turned to the river. "About this…marriage…I think we both have to agree…it's not something either of us is ready for…" she said quietly.

Luffy's smile faded and also looked towards the river. "Aa…" he agreed quietly.

"It's probably too late to go today…We will have to go tomorrow." she said as she looked back over at him. He turned to her and nodded.

Luffy and Nami had gathered up everything and placed it back into the basket. Luffy had carried it back to the ship. When they had gotten back, everyone looked at them in concern. When they saw the smiles on their faces, they too had smiled. Luffy and Nami had explained everything to them. Well, mainly Nami. She also apologized to them for all the trouble she had caused.

"Don't worry about it, Nami-san…We _are_ Nakama…" replied Sanji.

"So are you guys really still going to go through with the annulment?" asked Chopper.

"Un…it's not something either of us is ready for…or wanted…We will go back to the ossan tomorrow. I admit the first time had been for the wrong reasons…but now, everything is okay." she replied as she smiled and looked over at Luffy. He grinned back at her.

"I see…I guess that makes sense." said Chopper as he smiled at both Nami and Luffy.

----

After breakfast the next day, everyone made their way to the court house. They all walked into the room with the old man. He looked up from what he was reading and watched them approach. He sighed. Nami's lips quirked in a smile, but she didn't smile. "So you've come back…" he said quietly.

"Un…however, everything is okay now. You see, we were married by accident…We had just found out yesterday that the marriage had been real…We entered a contest in which we were lied to…They didn't tell us the truth. We…had a bit of a falling out before we were told and I…lost my temper…but everything's okay!" she explained as she laughed nervously.

The old man stared down at her. Then he turned to Luffy who grinned up at him. "Alright…" he said. Then he furrowed his brows. "How long again had it been since you were married?" he asked.

"Uh…two weeks and a day…" replied Nami. The old man shook his head and sighed. "Na…nani?" asked Nami.

"You see…I can only void a marriage within two weeks…" he replied.

"Eh…?" questioned Nami as a sweat bead dropped down the side of her face. Luffy looked over at Nami wide eyed. "What do you mean…?" she asked.

"You see…your two weeks is up…It can no longer be voided…" he explained.

"E-H?!" they all exclaimed.

"What do you mean it can no longer be voided?!" yelled Nami.

"After the two weeks is up…you have to settle for a divorce…" he explained.

"A…a divorce?...Well, that doesn't sound so bad…Okay, well…I guess a divorce it is…" she replied with a nervous smile.

"It's going to cost you…" he said.

"……Oh well, that's too bad…Marriage isn't so bad…" said Nami as she began to turn.

"Nami!!" everyone exclaimed loudly.

Nami slowly turned as she clenched her teeth. She looked right at Luffy. "I hate you…" she whispered. Luffy burst out laughing.

----

The crew walked out of the court house and headed for the ship. Nami was walking with her head lowered. It had cost them twenty million bellis. "All that money…" said Nami in a sulking voice.

"It's not a big deal, Nami…" said Luffy as he grinned at her.

"What do you mean, not a big deal?!" she yelled as she smacked him on the back of the head. "This is all your fault for running off yesterday!!" she continued.

Luffy only laughed. He was just glad she was back to her old self again. He didn't even care that she was blaming him once again. Nami sighed and closed her eyes as she bowed her head again. They made their way back to the ship and set sail.

----

A few days went by and as Nami sat at her desk, she found she was thinking about Luffy. He seemed in high spirits since they left Osani Island. She had to admit, she felt a lot better too. However…something was yet again bothering her…

Luffy sat on Sunny's figure head. He was thinking about the past few days. Things had gotten a lot better and had returned to normal…well…almost…Two days after they had left Osani Island, everyone had sat down for breakfast. He and Nami had happened to reach for the same item and their hands had touched. They had both looked to the other and only stared at one another. The crew had gone quiet and had looked toward them. Nami had quickly recovered and had laughed. He did what he always did. He had stared at her with an expressionless gaze before finally grinning stupidly.

However, it had been the first time they had touch since the time next to the river. He had felt something weird in his stomach. What disturbed him was that he was now familiar with that feeling. He furrowed his brows as he stared off into the horizon. Over the days…other things happened. He had dreamt about her…He had dreamt about that smile…the one she had given him back in the hotel room. He had woken up in a cold sweat. Then, it would seem he could no longer function properly when she was near him. All he could do was grin stupidly. He felt like a moron. He sighed. He stuck his hand in his pocket. He began to roll the plastic bubble around in his pocket that he still had. It was the same one he had bought back on Fire Phoenix or Shikazan Island…whichever it was…

He took a deep breath and then stood up. He slowly made his way to the back of the ship. It was fairly late at night, so everyone was asleep, all but one other person. He quietly opened the door to the observation room and stepped inside. He quietly closed the door and turned around. Nami was sitting at her desk. He watched as she set her pen down and leaned her head back. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Then she looked back down at her map.

Luffy walked up to her without making a sound. He looked down at her. He felt his heart racing. Nami began to massage her shoulder. "Tired?" he asked.

Nami almost jumped out of her chair as she yelped and turned toward him. Luffy smiled. "Luffy, what are you doing here?!" she yelled. "You know I don't like to be disturbed when I'm making my maps!" she continued.

"Aa…I know…" he replied quietly as he walked to the side of her chair. He stuck his hand in his pocket and rolled the bubble in his hand again. Then he squatted down next to her chair with his head lowered. His hat covered his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you…" he said.

"Talk to me? About what?" she asked with furrowed brows. She didn't seem at all concerned.

"About…the past few days…" he replied quietly.

"The past few days…? What about the past few days?" she asked.

Luffy's hand was still in his pocket. He grabbed the small bubbled and squeezed it tightly. He could hear his racing heart in his ears. He slowly closed his eyes. Nami looked down at Luffy in confusion. She couldn't see his face. 'What was he trying to say…?' she thought to herself as she stared down at him. Then she felt her heart jump as she looked down at him wide eyed. 'Was he…?" she started to think.

Luffy slowly lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. His expression was very serious. "I think you already know…" he said quietly.

Nami's heart began to pound. Yes…she did know…She stared down at him wide eyed. She had felt it…that day at breakfast, when his hand had touched hers…She had been all too familiar with the feeling…It was the burning sensation she remembered from when they had gone shopping for dress clothes before the banquet.

There was also the day after that breakfast she had been walking out of the dining room and he had been walking in. They had stared at one another for a long while, before Nami had excused herself and pushed her way past him.

There were also still the memories from that island…She still felt the butterflies in her stomach when he was close. Like right now..."Un…I know…" she whispered breathlessly.

"Nami…it's been bothering me since that day at breakfast...I remember…I remember that feeling…" he whispered.

Nami nodded stiffly. Her heart was pounding so hard and so fast she thought it might burst. She remembered this feeling as well, and she won't soon forget it. "Un…I do too…" she whispered.

"Nami…we did the right thing…Neither of us was ready for marriage…" he said.

"Un…I agree…" she replied.

"However……"

Nami's heart skipped a beat. "Nami…after we've fulfilled our dreams…let's make a promise…" he said quietly.

"A…promise?" she whispered.

"Aa…" he replied quietly as he nodded.

"What kind of promise…?" she asked breathlessly. She could hardly breathe.

Luffy removed his hand from his pocket and looked down at her hand. He lifted his other hand and grabbed hers. He pulled it toward him and opened it palm up. Nami held her breath as she listened to her pounding heart in her ears. She shifted her eyes from him to her hand. He put his other hand palm down into hers and then closed her hand around whatever he had just placed in her hand. He let go of her hand and leaned his arms on his legs. Nami stared down at her closed hand. She shifted her eyes back up to his. He was just staring at her with his serious expression.

Nami shifted her eyes back down to her hand. She slowly pulled it back to her. She lifted her hand and slowly opened it. There was a small plastic bubble in her palm. She quickly looked back up at Luffy. He was still staring at her seriously. She looked back down at her hand. She lifted her other hand and picked up the bubble. Then she opened it. Something fell out of it and onto her lap. She put the bubble down on her desk and reached down for what had fallen out. She lifted it up to her face. It was a bracelet. Then she inhaled sharply. There was a small charm on it. It was a mikan.

She stared at the bracelet wide eyed with slightly parted lips. Then she looked over at Luffy. He reached up and took it from her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm towards him. Then he began to put it on her. "Let's make a promise…that after we fulfill our dreams……" he started as he clamped it onto her wrist and then looked her in the eyes. Nami stared down at the bracelet around her wrist. Then she looked up into his eyes. "That we will try again..." he said softly.

Nami stared at him. 'He wants to try again…? Did he just…propose to me…?' she thought to herself in disbelief. She looked down at the bracelet around her wrist. She felt tears form in her eyes. 'I'll be damned if I cry again…I have cried way too much over the past month…' she thought to herself as she blinked them away. Then she looked back up into his eyes. "Alright…it's a promise…" she whispered as she smiled down at him. He smiled up at her. "However, I don't think we should tell the others about this…I think they've been through enough because of us…" she said.

"Aa." he agreed with a nod.

She felt…warm…very warm. Maybe it wasn't a lie after all…Maybe it was all just a little premature…She felt herself smile down at him. Nami watched as his eyes slowly widened as he looked her in the eyes. He had dreamt of that smile…He had also wanted to see it again…and here it was…That beautiful smile of hers that took his breath away. He wanted to capture that smile…capture it forever. He quickly leaned up and placed his lips to hers. Nami stared at him wide eyed. During the whole ordeal back on that island…not once had he been the one to kiss her, it had always been her. He had come close once…but he never actually had kissed her. She felt the tears form in her eyes even though she had refused to cry. She closed her eyes, leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt as he moved closer to her pulling her closer to him.

'This is real…This is real…' she thought to herself. The tears streamed down her face. She smiled against his lips. She really did love him. It was real…and he really loved her. She felt laughter build up inside her. It was quiet at first, and then she began to laugh throatily. Luffy pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes. She was laughing and crying at the same time. He titled his head and rose up a brow in confusion. She laughed louder as she threw herself onto him. She knocked him over as they both fell to the ground.

She looked down into his face. He was staring up at her wide eyed. She giggled. "I love you, Luffy!" she exclaimed happily as she smiled warmly down at him.

He made a throaty noise in surprise. He was staring at her wide eyed and slightly parted lips. Then he smiled up at her with his gentle smile that always seemed to make her knees turn to jelly. "Aa…I love you too…Nami…" he whispered. More tears flowed down her cheeks as she lowered herself onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck in an embraced. She felt his arms wrapped around her as he squeezed her gently. The hole was filled once again…

"Arigato…Luffy…." she whispered into his ear.

**The End…**

**Translations and Explanations Corner:**

**1: **Chikushou translate to…….my first bad word in my story…She was basically cursing in frustration. It means 'Damn' or 'Damn it'. XP (Hey…she was pissed and frustrated…Can you blame her?)

**2: **Matakun means like 'Geez' or a sigh in exasperation.

**3: **Shikazan…Rising Volcano. I totally made this up…Shinkou means rising and Kazan means volcano…I basically took the Shi from Shinkou and added it to Kazan to make the name of the island. I have no idea if it's right or not…just go along with it…

**4: **Matte means 'Wait'.

**5: **"I, Monkey D. Luffy, here by void and nullify my marriage. Due to reasons the marriage cannot work. I hereby declare this marriage annulled." I also totally made this crap up for the dramatic effect…Just go with it too…'kay?

**Author's Note: **THAT'S IT FOLKS!!! I hope you all enjoyed my story. I know I enjoyed writing it. XD I also hope it made sense…O.o I enjoyed every single one of your reviews. It gave me the will to want to continue writing this story…I actually had no idea any of you would like it…I actually had no idea I had it in me to write…I guess a red flag should have gone off when I'm constantly thinking of stories in my mind…but…eh…whatever…I truly want to know what you thought of my story and this chapter! Please review each of my chapters and tell me what you thought! XD If you have any questions, any questions at all, feel free to send me a private message. I don't mind at all. I have been thinking about writing small drabbles as sequels for this story. If any of you are interested, let me know and I will definitely consider it. XD Thanks so much for reading my story and staying with me this whole time! ARIGATO!!! XD (Bows and walks off stage as footsteps echo into the nothingness.)


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